Edison PK-12 Additions

In 2014 and 2015 the Edison School District received two Colorado Department of Education BEST Grants to improve their existing site utilities, including upgrading the electrical service, installing a new water well, restoring the deteriorating exterior stucco skin of the existing historic 1922 Junior / Senior High School Building, and constructing a major building addition.

Working with a very involved community based Design Advisory Group, LKA designed a new addition that would address handicap accessibility and building security concerns by linking together under one roof the existing 1922 Junior / Senior High School Building and the 2009 Elementary School Building.  The two buildings were separated by over 250’ of open windblown prairie.  Library and Cafeteria spaces for the entire campus were located in the existing elementary building, forcing secondary students to walk outside, in often difficult weather conditions, several times a day to gain access to these functions.  The unprotected distance between the two buildings also obviously created unacceptable security issues for the District’s students. The new addition provided additional science classroom space, a new library, a music room, modern gymnasium and locker room areas, a new cafeteria , and new wood and metal shops designed to support joint programs with other local rural school districts.

Unique Project Features:
Through a variety of environmentally friendly, energy efficient site and building components, the new design presents an innovative, low maintenance, high performing, safe learning environment crafted to meet the needs of the 21st century student.

The building’s place as the community center and gathering place (it is used year around for weddings, funerals and all manner of other events) was greatly enhanced with the new gymnasium and cafeteria / commons spaces.  Handicap accessibility is provided for the first time to the 2nd floor classroom spaces and auditorium in the 1922 building.  All public spaces have been designed to be easily accessible from the main lobby.

Sustainable, high performance features include:

• LEED (Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design) Silver Certification.
• Site lighting designed to reduce light pollution to adjacent properties.
• Irrigation designed to substantially reduce water consumption.
• Through the use of efficient plumbing fixtures, domestic water consumption is reduced.
• No ozone depleting CFCs or HCFCs will be used in the building’s mechanical equipment.
• Additional ventilation provided for improved indoor air quality, including operable windows.
• Daylighting with “state of the art” lighting controls – saving energy and enhancing the teaching and learning environment for increased productivity and improved test scores.
• The classroom learning environment is enhanced by limiting the impact of mechanical equipment background noise.
• Regionally sourced materials, recycled content in the specified materials and 75% construction waste recycling to reduce embodied energy.