Cedar North Elementary School has a long-held legacy of academic excellence that only seems to shine brighter with every generation of students that passes through its doors. Founded in 1954, the school became one of Southern Utah’s first STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math Education) schools in 2011, eventually earning a Platinum Utah STEM School designation, the highest designation awarded by the Utah STEM Action Center. Despite multiple expansions over the years, the school ended up needing to be replaced, and NWL was called upon to create a design that would support and enhance the school’s high-achieving education ethos. The result was a new 74,779-square-foot elementary school equipped with engaging designs that provide architectural interest and serve as learning opportunities for students. The school’s open ceiling areas allow students to study the building's interwoven infrastructure systems, while window mullion placement was designed to mimic patterns of DNA autoradiography. A dynamic design that inspires – and is inspired by – its students, the new North Elementary School opened its doors in fall 2017.