Agua Fria Elementary
- Santa Fe, New Mexico
- Client: Santa Fe Public Schools
- Mazria Riskin Odems, Inc.
- Role: Project Management, Design
- 19,799 sf addition and 13,540 sf renovation
- Final cost total: $2,637,674.71
- Completed Feb 2002
Honorable Mention Award (Commercial Building over $2 million) - American Institute of Architects, Santa Fe Chapter 2002 Design Excellence Awards
The addition the Agua Fria Elementary provides twelve classrooms and a new library. The new building also connects the main buildings on the campus, creates a central entry for wayfinding and security and offers a safe plaza area away from cars.
The design uses a double-loaded corridor, with widened, multi-use breakout spaces between each group of four classrooms to provide additional space for curriculum. The building curves to define a playground; covered outdoor spaces extend the breakout spaces for outdoor learning.
As studies have shown that children who learn in daylit, rather than artificially lit spaces, the building utiltizes natural lighting strategies such as clerestory windows that can be blacked out by teachers, lighting sensors and controls and shading devices.