Blanca, Colorado
Sierra Grande PK-12 Replacement School
Located in the heart of a hard-working, rural community and overlooking the beautiful Mount Blanca, the new Sierra Grande School will be a transformational element for Sierra Grande School District — bringing new educational opportunities and healthy, flexible learning environments.
The project is the first known school in Colorado to be designed with Passive House principles, meaning it is a super-insulated building envelope and with simplified mechanical systems. The new facility is all electric and no fossil fuels will be used on campus. The project is pursuing CHPS Verified Leader Certification.
The PK-12 campus includes classrooms, two gyms, cafeteria commons, and spaces that support innovation and a variety of Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs. The new school is designed to adapt to short and long-term needs and provide flexibility for students and teachers, allowing and encouraging 21st century learning principles. Learning communities offer a spectrum of learning spaces, from group rooms to small learning commons, and the gyms and large cafeteria/student commons accommodate for performance, sporting events and community meetings. A library/Media center offers a combination of learning opportunities that support new technology and provide quiet nooks for reading.
The district underwent an extensive Master Planning process in 2017-2018 and was awarded a BEST Grant in 2019.
Client: Sierra Grande School District R-30
Market: Education
Size: 85,800 Square Feet
Scope: New Construction
Services: Architecture, Interior Design
Delivery Method: Construction Manager at Risk
Key Project Contacts:
“We're a small district but this is the type of facility you'll see in urban areas in some of the most progressive areas in the state and in the country. We won't settle for anything less and will always strive for excellence. And I think that speaks to the heart of our building and what you see here today as well."
Walter Roybal
Sierra Grande School District School Board Member/Parent
The Passive House Solution
As the first known school in Colorado to be designed with Passive House principles—an alternative approach to meeting aggressive energy performance standards that features a super-insulated building envelope and simplified mechanical systems—Sierra Grande PK-12 School is all-electric with no fossil fuels used on campus.
Whereas designers typically approach high-performance buildings with an inherent tendency to make the systems more complicated, Sierra Grande’s high-quality envelope allowed the engineers to minimize and simplify the mechanical and electrical systems, keeping the building heated, cooled, ventilated, and lighted all while lowering maintenance costs—a crucial benefit given the school’s remote location. Learn more.
“Our community has always felt like it's been ten or so years behind and it doesn't feel that way here anymore. And that's really awesome.”
Anikah Roybal
Senior/Student Council President
An innovation lab adjacent to the main entry doors gives students a flexible, multi-use lab space where they can observe learning in real time. The new school also has dedicated art and music rooms, a science suite, a performance stage in the multi-purpose auxiliary gym, a main gym, and a fitness space available to the community.
