Children’s Community School

NCI-Roberts Construction safely completed a 7,061-square-foot building for Children’s Community School, a nonprofit Montessori preschool in Mount Horeb founded in 1976. The new building is accessible and includes four classrooms, two shared outdoor classrooms, a multipurpose room, a workroom, restrooms, offices, and storage. One of the first net-zero buildings in the state, Children’s Community School relies solely on electricity and was named a 2023 Climate Champion by Dane County. The school’s Montessori philosophy is reflected in the building’s design, which includes a child-sized secondary front door and incorporates the natural environment through outdoor classrooms, large windows and natural building materials. NCI-Roberts provided years of front-end support to the client when they were deciding whether to renovate or build new, provided an initial estimate to help gauge the fundraising goal, and assisted in finding the building site. NCI-Roberts engaged in a collaborative design-build process with the client and OPN Architects and facilitated USDA financing. The new building allows the school to serve 50 percent more children and their families and offer expanded programming to its students. The project was completed right before the school’s spring break, allowing the staff and volunteers to move in without disrupting the school calendar.