Luther Burbank Elementary School

Burbank School District 111 passed a referendum in 2016 to fund the replacement of their existing K-6 elementary school. The new 84,000 SF Luther Burbank Elementary School reflects the legacy of Luther Burbank – a horticultural pioneer and inventor that developed more than 800 strains and varieties of plants over a 55-year career – in every element of the facility. The school also uses geo-thermal energy.

Eriksson Engineering Associates, Ltd. (EEA) provided civil engineering and landscape architecture services for the project, which included the outdoor learning space/classrooms, sunshades, and rain garden.

Working closely with the architect, EEA took the opportunity to incorporate the required stormwater infiltration facility to enhance the outdoor classrooms. Using primarily native species, an outdoor learning space was created that is both attractive and educational for the students, faculty, and the community.

The Luther Burbank Elementary School earned the CBC/COAA Owners’ Choice Award in 2019.