Victorious in Victor

Students and teachers at the Teton Valley Community School in Victor, Idaho, are heading back to school with a new spring in their step.

That's because their design won the 2009 Open Architecture Challenge: Classroom--a competition hosted by Architecture for Humanity, selected from more than 400 qualified entries from over 65 countries, which I blogged about recently.

Congratulations are in order, since the school will receive $50,000 to carry out its design by month's end. Another $5,000 will go to the design team, Section Eight Design, whose community-collaborative efforts, cost-effective and sustainable building plan created a "classroom of the future."

The school plans to break ground this spring, allowing time for more fund-raising from the community and private donors, since the $50,000 will only cover the cost of one classroom out of five planned.

"What’s great about this design is that you can add on to it, so they can build one classroom at a time as they raise more funds," said AFH press contact Diana Bianchini.

You can see all the classroom design entries and awards here.