Glenwood Springs High School

Glenwood Springs, ColoradoLee J. Brockway Award - Renovation

High SchoolRTA Architects

2009 Exhibition of School Planning and Architecture

Glenwood Springs High School

Public EntryCommunity Environment: The renovation of Glenwood Springs High School in Glenwood Springs, Colorado, was truly a community project. Because the project funds arose from a local bond election, the community remained actively involved from master planning through the design of the school.

Discussions with community members and school district administrators resulted in the decision to keep the school in its original downtown location – a difficult process due to land acquisition requirements. However, the school became the new center of revitalization along the main downtown circulation spine, partially because of the reorientation of the entry from a neighborhood street to the main city street.

Before

After

Community PromenadeCommunity Environment: Continued…The downtown location allows for a cultural interchange and connection between the citizens in the downtown area and the students, and a new community promenade provides space for outdoor community events.

The school became a community activity center with opportunities for shared facilities for athletics, group meetings, and social gatherings. Community theater groups regularly utilize the auditorium and rehearsal hall for their productions. A partnership with the Garfield County Library was explored in depth but abandoned due to logistics and access issues.

Existing Back of School

New Community Promenade

Corridor TransformationLearning Environment:With this renovation, the high school moved from a traditional, standardized teacher-centric model with small classrooms and dark, narrow corridors to an interactive, exploration-based, student-centric model. The new model was designed to inspire students to learn and assist them in learning at their own paces and in their own styles.

The primary instructional areas are organized as four small learning communities that can be arranged in departmental, interdisciplinary, distinct small schools within a school, or other configurations, depending on the current educational needs of the students.

Existing Secondary Corridor

New Small Learning Community Corridor

Student CommonsLearning Environment: Continued…The flexibility of room sizes distributed throughout the building – small, medium, large, and extra large – accommodate a variety of activities and multipurpose uses while supporting both standards-based learning and possible future project-based learning. Multiple small- and large-group areas are available for unique learning experiences, as well as elevated outdoor classrooms and learning spaces for outdoor learning.

Technology is dispersed throughout the entire building with specific hard-wired areas and a building-wide wireless system, including larger assembly areas such as the gymnasiums, performance areas, and student commons.

Existing Cafeteria

New Student Commons

…continued on slide 18

Entry Lobby/BridgePhysical Environment:The building is zoned in a flexible manner to allow segregation or combined activities. The design allows portions of the building to be selectively locked down or opened after hours (e.g. the gyms, commons, media center, etc.) as well as portions of the building blocked off during school hours for community use without the interaction of students if desired. The entry lobby acts as a connector or bridge between the two main entryways, but also connects the functions of the larger areas such as the gym, auditorium, and commons.

The community’s selection of the existing site and re-use and renovation of 30,000 sq. ft. of the existing building and site amenities saved site development costs and minimized the environmental impact.

Bridge

Main Circulation SpinePhysical Environment: Continued…Removing the existing aging sub-par commercial buildings along Main Street improved the appearance of the entire downtown area, and the demolished site concrete and asphalt was ground and re-used as structural fill under the building.

Corridors and activity areas are energized with views of the mountains and filled with natural daylight. The replacement building was carefully oriented on the site to maximize the views of adjacent mountains and land features. Natural daylighting strategies for learning spaces included walls of exterior windows and windows to interior classrooms to bring the light into the spaces.

Existing Main Corridor

New Main Circulation Spine

…continued on slide 19

Process DiagramsPlanning Process:The District Facilities Master Plan identified major deficiencies, including a site that was too small with inadequate student drop-off and parking and significant vehicular/pedestrian conflicts, as well as limited athletic fields. The existing building consisted of a 1950s school with multiple additions, old and worn out systems, and inadequate education standards. Most classrooms did not meet minimum district standards, and there was a lack of support spaces such as breakout/resource rooms and teacher workrooms.

Design ModelingPlanning Process: Continued…The District Facilities Master Planning process included the School Board, the Facilities Action Committee (4 members), the Glenwood Springs Community Committee (15 members), and RTA and Consultants. Additionally, the Glenwood Springs High School Planning and Design group included the School Board (7 members), the Bond Oversight Committee (2 presentations), the Design Advisory Group (32 members and 11 members), and RTA and Consultants, as well as Community Partnerships, the Glenwood Springs Community Development Director, the Glenwood Springs HS/Garfield County Library Taskforce (13 members and 3 meetings, and the Local Theater Group (2 meetings).

…continued on slide 20

Exhibition of School Planning and Architecture 2008 Project Data

Submitting Firm : RTA ArchitectsProject Role ArchitectProject Contact Ken Gregg, AIATitle Glenwood Springs High SchoolAddress 19 S. Tejon St., Suite 300City, State or Province, Country Colorado Springs, CO USAPhone 719-471-7566

Joint Partner Firm:Project RoleProject ContactTitleAddressCity, State or Province, CountryPhone

Other Firm:Project RoleProject ContactTitleAddressCity, State or Province, CountryPhone

Construction Firm: FCI Constructors, Inc.Project Role ConstructionProject Contact Brian CoontsTitle Project ManagerAddress P.O. Box 1767City, State or Province, Country Grand Junction, CO 81502Phone 970-434-9093

Exhibition of School Planning and Architecture 2008 Project Details

Project Name  Glenwood Springs High School

City  Glenwood Springs

State  Colorado

District Name  Roaring Fork School District

Supt/President  Judy Haptonstall

Occupancy Date Continuously Occupied, Completed July 2008

Grades Housed 9th through 12th

 

Capacity(Students) 811

Site Size (acres) 19.2 Acres

Gross Area (sq. ft.) 170,000 S.F. Renovation Area 30,000 S.F.

Per Occupant(pupil)  209

gross/net please indicate  1.47 +/-

 

Design and Build?  CM/GC Delivery

If yes, Total Cost:  

Includes:  

 

If no,  

Site Development:  $3,360,000

Building Construction:  $28,570,000

Fixed Equipment:  $1,100,000 Furniture & Equipment

Other:  $1,800,000 Asbestos Abatement

 

Total:  $34,830,000

Supporting/Supplemental files/Images

Learning Environment: Continued…A central common court area with the theater, performing arts, gymnasiums, and commons encourages awareness of different events going on as opposed to segregating them in distant corners of the school.

The transparency of spaces encourages interaction through informal visibility and awareness of the entire school. The internal and external visibility of learning spaces encourages a feeling of welcoming and awareness that inspires participation. A main circulation spine connects the two entries and provides visibility into all key areas. All project-based learning pieces and the associated activities are on display and very visible.

Transparent Circulation and Activity

Supporting/Supplemental files/Images

Physical Environment: Continued…Site stormwater management strategies included bio-swales and natural surface drainage with natural irrigation. Displacement ventilation systems and ice storage improved energy usage for the facility. The environmental design fully supported the school district’s goals for sustainability, student performance, and interaction with the community.

Bio-swales and Natural Surface Drainage

Supporting/Supplemental files/Images

Planning Process: Continued…The Roaring Fork School District Educational Facilities Workshop developed sixteen non-negotiable statements to alight the facility with standards-based guiding practices. The Design Advisory Group (DAG) held regular meetings during planning and design, conducted school tours, and created responses to the sixteen non-negotiable statements. The DAG was instrumental in creating goals and visions for the project through discussions of educational trends and philosophies and surveys of parents, students, and teachers. They also developed educational specifications for building program spaces and site facilities.

…continued on slide 21

Master Plan Planning Process Timeline

Supporting/Supplemental files/Images

Planning Process: Continued…The design team and community recognized opportunities to re-use parts of the existing building by renovating the existing practice gym into a new auditorium space and renovating the existing auditorium into a fitness room and small rehearsal and lecture hall.

Design team members remained active during construction to accommodate the four construction phases. The goal of keeping the school operational during construction required that the students remain in the existing classroom areas during the construction of the new classroom wing then move into the new wing while the old wing was demolished and the auditorium and athletic areas were being remodeled. Construction phasing was planned carefully to allow mechanical and electrical systems to remain operational during each phase.

Community Involvement and Information Process Timeline

Daylit Corridors

Media Center – Small Group Room

Outdoor Learning Classroom

Student Entry

Existing Library

New Library/Media Center