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Oklahoma City, OK – Larson Design Group (LDG) recently celebrated a major milestone at Harrah Public Schools’ Russell Babb Elementary with a ceremonial groundbreaking that marks the beginning of an exciting transformation for the school, its students, educators, and the wider community.
This 16,804-square-foot expansion and renovation project is designed to enhance both safety and daily operations throughout the building. Key components of the project include:
- A new ICC 500–compliant tornado storm shelter to ensure safety and peace of mind for students and staff during severe weather events
- A secure main entrance that improves access control and visitor flow
- Expanded administrative areas with updated offices and support spaces – including new offices, a dedicated conference room, and a nurse’s room – designed to centralize resources for students and school leadership
- Comprehensive reconfiguration of the “West Wing” to include updated ADA-compliant restrooms, a music room, a STEM/art classroom, a computer lab, and dedicated pull-out service spaces to better support student learning and instruction
To improve everyday circulation within the school, the project also includes new interior corridors that replace the existing outdoor sidewalks, offering students a safer, more comfortable way to navigate the campus year-round.
“This project is about more than adding square footage – it’s about creating a safer, more functional environment where students and educators can thrive,” said Zach Giddens, Project Manager. “From the new storm shelter and secure entrance to improved interior circulation, every element was thoughtfully designed to enhance safety, efficiency, and the overall learning experience. We’re proud to partner with Harrah Public Schools to help bring this vision to life for the Russell Babb community.”
We extend our sincere thanks to Harrah Public Schools, The Boldt Company, and the entire project team for their collaboration and trust. Their teamwork and commitment are laying the foundation for a stronger, safer learning environment.
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We look forward to the positive impact these improvements will have for Russell Babb Elementary and the broader Harrah community.
ABOUT LDG
Founded in 1986, LDG is an award-winning, employee-owned architecture, engineering, and consulting firm offering full-service capabilities and a national reach. For 40 years, we have been providing an extraordinary breadth and depth of value-driven solutions to our diverse client base and investing in the sustainable business practices and innovative technologies that allow us to pursue our shared vision: creatively shaping our world. For more information, visit About – Larson Design Group.