The article below was originally published by WCHS-TV. Some spelling errors from the original article have been made in the reproduction of the story below.

CLENDENIN, W.Va. (WCHS) — The construction of a Kanawha County school won its designers an award from the West Virginia chapter of the American Institute of Architects.

Clendenin Elementary School was among thousands of structures destroyed by catastrophic flooding in 2016. Students spend years in portable classrooms until a permanent facility could be constructed.

Last year, a state-of-the-art building took its place on a hill above the floodplain, which includes a modern kitchen, geothermal HVAC unit, STEM lab, classroom pods and a dentist office.

Earlier this month, the 65,000-square-foot structure earned ZMM Architects and Engineers an AIA WV Merit Award for Achievement in Architecture, according to a news release from ZMM.

“Being a part of the design team for the new Clendenin Elementary School is something that I am very proud of,” project manager Nathaniel Spencer stated in the news release. “It is great seeing young students walk into this brand-new school with bright eyes and excited to learn. Most of these students have only ever been to class in temporary portable classrooms.”

To view photos showing the school’s progression, click here.

Also noted in the news release were ZMM’s stargazing cabins at Coopers Rock State Forest which earned two excellence awards from AIA WV.