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Programming & Master Planning

The Crestone Charter School is a K-12 school that currently serves 65 students who live within the town of Crestone and in the surrounding area.

In early 2009 the school first contacted HTA to see if we would be interested in helping them pursue the vision of designing and building a new home for the school. In March of this year we began interviewing and speaking with members of the school and community in order to fully understand the school's needs and role within the community today and into the future. This process developed into a model program for the school and into a master planning proposal which was used to apply for state funding. In late July of this year we were notified that the school had been selected to receive the needed funding in order to have a new home built for The Crestone Charter School.

The preliminary design for this project incorporates multi-age classrooms that are divided into three "learning centers" that branch off of the communal "learning street" space. Each learning center has a shared project room that is between two large classrooms.

Energy efficiency and high performance design have been identified as unquestionable components of the new school buildings by the design team, the school and the state. The preliminary assumptions in massing, materials and systems are targeting a carbon neutral school building which goes far beyond required efficiencies.

The design team at Harry Teague Architects is ready to move into schematic design as soon as the state gives the green light to move ahead.