GSBS designed the new Beacon Heights Elementary School building to replace the original, which was built in 1952. The new building sits in the same approximate location on site as the old. The site slopes almost 40 feet from one corner to the next, which presented both challenges and opportunities for the site and building design. The opportunities included a panoramic view of the valley from the main, upper level entry and a building mass that is intimately scaled along its street frontage, providing sympathetic context to the modestly scaled surrounding homes. Challenges included the design of vehicular and pedestrian drop-off and pick-up areas in two separate and distinct locations, required for Beacon Height's unique school program.

Beacon Heights School includes the Child Behavioral Therapy Unit (CBTU), housed in one wing of the building. This program component serves children with behavior challenges in an environment with a high ratio of learners to adults. The inclusion of the CBTU at Beacon Heights and the integration of program spaces allow the children to be mainstreamed into the larger school community while giving them their own distinct suite of spaces suited to their specific needs.

The design process included extensive community involvement, which influenced design decisions. The school community, pedagogy, and curriculum place a strong emphasis on the arts as is evidenced throughout the design of the building in the many display areas and tile murals created by students in collaboration with artists and teachers.

The two-level building is veneered in modular brick to blend in with the surrounding neighborhood. The building materials are sympathetic to the original school with a small amount of original stone veneer re-used as an accent near the entrance.

GSBS designed with daylighting principles and energy-efficient systems. These sustainable design attributes extend the life of the building and provide a better learning environment for the students, in addition to saving operations and maintenance costs. They also serve as learning opportunities.