| Located on the gently sloping southwest mesa of Albuquerque, New Mexico this new high school campus strives to preserve the communities PAST, and PRESENT with an eye toward the FUTURE in a rapidly changing context. The design responds with organic forms reflecting the natural landscape and the “past” while “building into the site” rather than on top of it. An incision into the site, composed of exterior spaces for student interaction, reflects the “present” and is framed by academic buildings— which promote the idea of change and the “future”—oriented to the views of the Sandia Mountains.
The 60-acre site is located in the southwest region of greater Albuquerque, New Mexico and is serving to spearhead development in this rapidly growing community. The notion of preserving the natural landscape was a primary goal/consideration in the planning and design. Residential and commercial development will spring up around the site and dramatically change the current context. The site—visible from the entire downtown Albuquerque community and outlying areas—will serve as a community focal point in the changing landscape.
Campus planning/organization is based on layering programmatic spaces while building ‘into the site” rather than positioning buildings on top of it. The site slopes down 85 feet to the east; program space and built form “cheat the horizon” and take advantage of this slope. This will allow passersby to look over the campus and admire the views of the Sandia Mountain Range to the east while the campus built forms will recreate the horizon and serve to block the views to the less than attractive surrounding development on the north, west, and southern edges of the site.
The community developed the concept of preserving the Past while celebrating the growing cultural diversity of the Present and maintaining a strong commitment to the rapidly evolving global learning community of the Future. The campus organizational diagram was developed with this parti while responding to significant contextual considerations—striking views to the Sandia Mountains, solar orientation, changing site edges, and the ability to see the site from literally ten to fifteen miles away.
This new campus will serve the immediate needs of 2,400 students with a planned capacity of 3,100 students. The school responds thoughtfully and is committed to addressing the real needs and opportunities of each high school student/educational team member while creating partnerships with higher education campuses and the surrounding community. This new campus houses many community functions and defines a true “Community Center” with development and placement of the Program.
The planning and design process was based on a collaborative process which included representatives from the District’s educational leadership and facilities departments as well as members from community groups, and most importantly high school students who will use the facility.
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