Schools Within Schools

Landmark Adams City High School designed for 21st Century learners

A new high school in Commerce City arose from European influences and the desire to create a useful community landmark.

By Dan DeCristoforo

The new Adams City High School in Commerce City is replacing the area’s aging high school and offering students a choice of Arts, Early College, Science and Technology academies, as well as an International Baccalaureate program.

“Small schools within a school, the academies, are expected to provide unique and exciting learning experiences and foster strong student-teacher relationships,” says Dr. Sue Chandler, Adams 14 superintendent.

Adams City High School’s horseshoe-shaped courtyard features trees, seat walls, planters and benches designed to encourage students to study and socialize between classes. (Photo Courtesty Terry Shapiro)

The high school-community learning center offers a community college component in partnership with Front Range Community College, the Community College of Aurora and Community College of Denver. Students can earn both college credit and technical certifications. Six after-hours college courses are open to the community at large.

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“Built-in flexibility allows the academies to offer either a traditional grade-based curriculum or a career-track approach focused on health and wellness, international business, language arts and such,” says Chad Novak, a principal at Denver’s H+L Architecture, the project architect.

Each of the academies (two on each of two floors) enjoys its own space, plus shared common areas. Total capacity is 1,900 students in grades 9-12 and 750 students enrolled in community college courses.

Multimedia, computer-aided design, auto-collision repair, construction trades and a signature culinary arts program complete with a bistro are among the career and vocational-technical education offerings. An integrated arts program includes photography, musical performance, theater, visual arts, ceramics and dance.

Community Pride The school, a design-build project led by H+L and Aurora’s Adolfson & Peterson Construction, is the cornerstone project of Adams County’s $78-million 2006 bond election that also provided funds for air conditioning every district school, 21st-Century science labs at Kearney and Adams City middle schools and the addition of two classrooms in every elementary school for full-day kindergarten.

Included in the 293,000-sq-ft urban campus is an expansive performing arts facility that will host both student and community photography exhibits, theater, and musical and dance performances. (Photo Courtesty Terry Shapiro)

As the district’s first new school in more than 40 years, Adams City has fostered considerable pride within the community, says Mike Grandstaff, the district’s project manager. “Most residents haven’t experienced anything like this,” he says. “The school will make a huge impact on student achievement by allowing us to do things that others can’t.”

The project supports the district’s educational goal to create 21st-Century learners with access to high-tech installations and wireless connectivity.

Located on nearly 60 acres on 72nd Avenue near Quebec Street, the 293,000-sq-ft, $59.4-million urban-campus complex includes a competition-sized indoor swimming pool, expansive performing arts facility, flexible classrooms, media center, ROTC facility and food court.

Besides school functions, public events such as plays and concerts will be hosted in the performing arts center, athletic complex and horseshoe-shaped courtyard. The bistro may serve light dinners before performances.

Trees, seat walls, planters and benches in the courtyard invite students to study and socialize between classes.

Years of Planning “Design advisory group meetings began nearly four years ago even before the bond issue had passed,” says Dan Lamphere, Adolfson and Peterson’s project manager. “Renderings were circulated in the community to generate excitement about the project in advance of what turned out to be a close election.” Frequent community meetings also were held.

Design for the high school drew heavily on the classic european village. it takes shape as an educational village wrapped around a civic courtyard or plaza. (Photo by Terry Shapiro)

“The design team resolved the challenge to provide a safe yet highly functional building by positioning two highly visible points of entry: one for students at the north end off the bus loop and the other off the courtyard for parents and visitors,” Lamphere says. “Entries, parking and gathering areas are easily viewed from the administrative offices.”

Abundant exit doors ensure smooth traffic flow and safety for all occupants. Security cameras monitor entry/exit points.

Adams City High School broke ground in September 2007 and was commissioned in July in time for the fall term. Utilization of the latest BIM technology is credited with significant time savings, minimal change orders and on-time, on-budget completion.

Cameron Donegal, A&P’s regional director of virtual construction, led regular meetings between the mechanical, electrical, structural and fire-protection trades to coordinate routing and sequencing.

The 60-acre campus includes an athletic complex with ballfields, a track and tennis courts, which will also be used to host community events. (Photo by terry Shapiro)

“BIM (building information modeling) was implemented as a complete construction tool,” Lamphere says. “Basically, we built the building before we built the building. Components fit with few adjustments and almost no fabrication, improvisation or stacking of trades onsite. This was the cleanest installation of major systems I have ever seen.”

European Influence Inspiration for the design drew heavily on the classic European village. “The concept is an educational village wrapped around a civic courtyard or plaza,” Novak says. “What is actually a single structure resembles a cluster of individual buildings linked by a meandering corridor, with the courtyard as focal point.

“Points of reference are readily identifiable from every wing. Each functional area is a simple shape twisted slightly on an angle to help establish the village ambiance.”

The architecture boasts simple, clean lines rendered in brick, glass, steel, white stucco and silver panels of composite aluminum—durable, easy-to-maintain materials that echo the older architecture of Commerce City.

“Daylighting drove the siting and orientation of each element; 95% of the interior enjoys an abundance of natural light,” Novak says.

Energy conservation in the school is enhanced by a high-efficiency HVAC system that exceeds American Society of Heating, refrigerating and Air-Conditioning engineers’ standards. (Photo by terry Shapiro)

The athletic complex features a competition-sized indoor swimming pool with areas for diving. (Photo by Terry Shapiro)

Glazing includes storefront windows fronting the courtyard and clerestory windows along corridors. There also was the desire to refer to redevelopment along Quebec and the wildlife refuge immediately to the east, which offers students an extensive natural science and nature laboratory.

Spread-footing foundations of poured concrete topped by structural-steel framing and brick veneer make up the academic wing. Brick-clad, load-bearing CMU walls form the athletic and community spaces. Concrete flooring is at grade except for the basement beneath the locker rooms.

High-sand, low-clay soils assured excellent drainage but required reconditioning down to 4 ft to adequately support the structure. The 15-ft, floor-to-floor-high basement houses the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps program and mechanical and electrical systems. There’s also a laser and air-rifle practice range. No actual weapons are allowed.

Energy conservation is enhanced by a white, high-reflectivity TPL roof and high-efficiency mechanical system that exceeds American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers’ standards. Lighting in classrooms is indirect while administrative and workrooms feature automatic on-off sensors. Built-in water efficiencies include drought-resistant native landscaping.

“Lack of a prototype or pre-existing concept makes this a landmark project possessed of a great spirit of place,” Novak says.

Project Team

Commerce City
Owner: Adams County School District 14
General Contractor: Adolfson & Peterson Construction
Architect: H+L Architecture
Engineers: SCI, M.E. Group, Lund Partnership, RLH Engineering, BCER Engineering Inc., Design Mechanical
Among the Subcontractors: Design Mechanical, Encore Electric, Anderson Steel Erectors, CoCal Landscape, C. Morgen Masonry, Allied Floor Services