Santa Fe Public Schools – The vision of the Aspen Community School Renovation and Addition is to promote community and foster collaboration through the creation of a cohesive campus. The school is a newly consolidated K-8 school that was housed in two separate buildings, one building housing an existing middle school and one building housing an existing elementary school. An addition was needed to not only physically bring the school together, but to overcome a perceived lack of connection and unity in the school’s culture. The H +M Design Group and Santa Fe Public Schools collaborated to identify project goals that would support new school culture and foster a sense of community. By connecting the two buildings and using that connection as the heart or “living room” of the newly connected school, the opportunity for collaboration and community within the built campus was created. The intent is this space can be used not only during the dedicated school day but also for after-hour programs for students, community events, or adult education. A performance stage, the new cafeteria, and the remodeled library are adjacent to this agility space and serve to keep it activated. Increased interaction between faculty, staff, and students is fostered as well. This space is designed to be flexible with sloped stadium-style seating that accommodates interaction and gathering among the staff and students. This new gathering space has abundant natural light and is connected to new outdoor landscaped learning spaces in a courtyard. Additional scope included a renovated library, a new kitchen, a new cafeteria, an updated lobby, a teaching kitchen, and an orchestra classroom.
The phasing of this project was critical as most of the work took place while the facility was occupied by students from ages 5 to 15. The project was completed in four phases to allow the existing kitchen to function while the new was constructed. The existing kitchen was then converted to a teaching kitchen.
Square Feet: 23,795
Construction Cost: $6,382,375
