Atrisco Heritage Academy

Albuquerque, New MexicoHigh School

Project of Distinction – new constructionPerkins+Will

2010 Exhibition of School Planning and Architecture

Atrisco Heritage Academy

Atrisco Heritage Academy

Interior Courtyard ViewCommunity Environment:The learning environment

responds to the idea of community and cultural identity of the PAST, PRESENT, and FUTURE. “We know and embrace our culture and history, what we have been; we are striving to understand what we are today, and most importantly shape what our community will become.” This recognition of our collective legacy, along with constructing places for learning will motivate each student to embrace the process of learning for life. Students are encouraged to explore educational and professional career models within the academies and through partnerships with businesses and higher education campuses in the area.

Entry Courtyard RenderingCommunity Environment:An overriding goal was to be

sensitive in preserving the natural environment in a rapidly changing context. The design team embraced the challenge by connecting the school with the PAST, within the context of its PRESENT, with an unwavering commitment to students’ FUTURE. Organic forms reflect the natural landscape, building into the site rather than on top of it. An incision into the site creates exterior spaces for student interaction, framed by academic buildings. Inspiration comes from adjacent geological features: lava flow, the Rio Grande, and the Sandia Mountains.

Student CommonsLearning Environment:The collaborative learning

environment within the Smaller Learning Communities (SLCs) motivates students to take active participation in defining their process(es) as well as content. It promotes teamwork and exploration of specific educational and professional career models with the academies and partnerships with businesses and higher education campuses in the area. SLCs have proven to be viable and successful system in increasing retention and skill development, while lowering absenteeism. This high school is currently the only school in its state that is architecturally built specifically for SLCs.

Collaborative SpaceLearning Environment: The development of the

program, planning, and design was based on technology driven planning. Providing the types of spaces that support the educational technological advances so that they are readily available to the students and instructors is a principal goal of the project. It is no longer adequate to simply “load” traditional spaces with technology infrastructure and equipment, but rather we have to provide students with innovative spaces that take advantage of current technology and have the capability of adapting to future advancements in order to support and enhance the process of learning.

Exterior Rendering Physical Environment :Upon first visiting the site, it was

overwhelmingly clear to all that responding to and taking advantage of the spectacular views of the Sandia Mountains and the natural terrain of the gently sloping southwest Rio Grande River valley would be a primary consideration. Unlike the majority of existing high school campuses in Albuquerque, we wanted to develop a connection from each interior space to the outdoors and maximize natural light into each space. Every teaching space benefits from natural light and is offered ample views of the natural landscape, providing for a strong connection to the surrounding environment.

Overall Campus RenderingPhysical Environment:The project responds to solar

orientation, diverse climatic analysis, and the preservation of the physical environment to create an environmentally responsive design. Given the arid climatic region, sustainable design features include “cool” low-emissivity roofing and thermally broken window systems with high performance low-e dual glazing. In response to the natural surrounding terrain, steel framed structures are clad with CMU of variegated natural tones. The design responds with organic forms reflecting the natural landscape of the “past” while “building into the site” rather than on top of it.

Organization DiagramPlanning Process:A great deal of time and collaborative effort was devoted to the programming and planning process. A team of over one hundred people comprised the programming and planning team, with most notably the involvement of several high school students. A series of collaborative work sessions were held to define goals and expectations of the users and community at large. This project is viewed to be and will serve to be the catalyst to the development of the “southwest region” of Albuquerque and truly serve as this community’s “center”.

Campus PlanPlanning Process:Planning sessions included

identifying community goals, and collaborating joint-use partnerships with the community through a series of charette workshops and educational goals exploration.

• Vision of Campus experience with realities of developing program in excess of 460,000 SF of building area

• Sustainable Design Workshops

• Site Planning Charette• Conceptual Planning

Charettes• District Facilities

Maintenance and Operations Program workshops

Floor plan

Typical Academy Floor Plan

Exhibition of School Planning and Architecture 2010 Project Data

Submitting Firm : Perkins+WillProject Role Design ArchitectProject Contact Wendell Vaughn, AIA, LEED APTitle PrincipalAddress 617 West 7th Street, Suite 1200City, State or Province, Country Los Angeles, CA 90017Phone 213.270.8400

Joint Partner Firm: FBT ArchitectsProject Role Lead Local ArchitectProject Contact Christopher Bard, AIATitle PrincipalAddress 6100 Indian School Road NE, Suite 210City, State or Province, Country Albuquerque, NM 87110Phone 505.883.5200

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

Construction Firm: Gerald MartinProject Role General Contractor Project ContactTitleAddress 8501 Jefferson NE,City, State or Province, Country Albuquerque, NM 87113 Phone 505.828.1144

Exhibition of School Planning and Architecture 2010 Project Details

Project Name Atrisco Heritage Academy

City Albuquerque 

State New Mexico 

District Name Albuquerque Public Schools 

Supt/President Karen Alarid

Occupancy Date  August 2008 (Phase I)

Grades Housed 9-12 

 

Capacity(Students)  2,400

Site Size (acres) 65 acres 

Gross Area (sq. ft.) 470,000 sf 

Per Occupant(pupil) 196 sf/pupil 

gross/net please indicate  

 

Design and Build?  Yes

If yes, Total Cost: $108,000,000 

Includes:  

 

If no,  

Site Development:  

Building Construction:  

Fixed Equipment:  

Other:  

 

Total:  $108,000,000 

Smaller Learning Communities

Smaller Learning Communities

Site Context/Aerial

Study Models

Library

9th Grade Academy