Sited along a steep hill overlooking scenic views, the new Fales Elementary School reflects its local ecology in a child-centric educational environment that promotes curiosity and hands-on learning. The design embraces this challenging sloped site as an opportunity to improve building performance and demonstrate environmental stewardship; nestled within the hillside, the facility maintains a compact footprint comprised of only two floors to enable natural light to reach all interior spaces. 
Lam created a series Solatubes for the project – custom flared, drywall caps, made of molded GFRG for each tube, allowing the natural daylight to be directed to the lower level of the building. These custom caps create a place for daylight to splash around and become diffused in different areas, creating a bright and airy space for those that lack natural lighting.