Sanford PK-12 School Additions and Alterations

Sanford is located in rural south-central Colorado less than 30 minutes from the New Mexico border. Through the BEST Grant program, the School District had the opportunity to strengthen the commitment to its student’s education for the next several generations.

The Sanford School is the heart of the community.  Preserving the school’s place in the town’s social fabric was a primary planning and design consideration. The building is arranged to receive both students and community members. The Library, with its own exterior entrance is open to the public. Other activity spaces are located for civil functions from the main lobby while securing the balance of the school.

The Sanford school has learning environments carefully designed to support the District’s educational programs. These include consistent technology access throughout the building, interactive teaching surfaces, the capability for students to participate in lessons delivered from remote locations and specialized teaching spaces. The specialized spaces include vocational shops equipped to teach the skills useful in this agriculturally based community.

Sustainable, high performance features include . . .

• LEED (Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design) Gold Certification.
• Classroom and Cafeteria radiant floor heating system.  Displacement ventilation in classrooms.
• Return air heat recovery system.
• Daylight windows with interior light shelves and computer controlled electric window shades that automatically adjust to the time of year and day as well as exterior light conditions.
• Light fixture automatic dimming controls that respond to the daylight contribution.
• Photo voltaic panel demonstration installation with lobby video display to inform students about the solar energy contribution.
• High efficiency condensing boilers.
• Energy modeling projects 46% annual energy cost savings compared to a base code compliant building.  This has earned a $70,300 Excel Energy EDA program rebate.
• Site designed to reduce and treat storm water runoff.  Storm water collected, filtered and percolated into the underlying pervious soils.