Work on Yuma High School included a new 18,605-sq-ft wing for expanded academic programming, a 12,465-sq-ft auxiliary gym and a state-of-the-art agricultural science workspace. In addition to expanded programming, the redesigns focused on student well-being and safety. This included limiting entry points into the high school and rerouting the layout to accommodate after-hours and community use of the gym without allowing public access to dedicated student spaces.

Given the presence of asbestos throughout the original school buildings, the project team worked with the school district to encapsulate and abate the hazardous material.

Photo by LaCasse Photography

The high school redesign also offers students extensive natural lighting for an enhanced learning environment by relocating classrooms from the center of the building to positions along the exterior walls. Special care was necessary in adding windows to the brick walls, from detailed flashing to retouching the brick.

While upgrading the MEP systems, the design team took into account long-term usability, opting to install a system that could be maintained locally rather than employing a new technology that would require specialists to travel in for maintenance.

By weaving upfront collaboration into every aspect of the project, the team was able to order materials far earlier in the process. In one situation, a mismatched order of exterior siding arrived, but the manufacturer shut down shortly after the order was shipped. Despite calls to at least 20 plants around the country in search of extra pallets, the team was unable to locate the necessary materials. Instead, the team changed the design to intentionally integrate the mismatched materials into a cohesive aesthetic.