After Tropical Storm Lee swept through the city of Owego in 2011, the Owego Apalachin Elementary School was left destroyed. Looking to rebuild, the district took measures to ensure the new buildings would be able to withstand future storms.
In 2013, construction began with the raising of the site’s ground level by about five feet, allowing for the new school to be situated above the floodplain. “(We) utilized special site materials in order to raise the ground,” explains David Degnon, senior associate at project architect Highland Associates, “but also had to take into consideration floodwater mitigation on the site as displaced water cannot be discharged downstream negatively impacting other properties. It was very important to the team to accomplish this in a way that seemed natural and seamless.” In addition to the new elementary school, a new maintenance/storage building and district administration office were built on campus.