The building is a variation on a bar building typology, measuring roughly 435’ in length and 45’ wide. The large bar is accented by a tapering geometry bifurcating to a “Y” form that emphasizes the large entry through the building and onto the campus.
The new Sierra Vista High School Science and Classroom Building anchors the new campus while unifying the new and existing construction methods. The new field house, the new music building and the new athletic stadium bring concrete and masonry, while the existing one-story classroom buildings bring stud construction; both typologies culminate in the mixed construction of the new Science and Classroom Building. Classrooms provided include specialized uses, such as labs, while still remaining flexible and responsive to community uses.
The building is proactive about its environmental impact. Focusing on active and passive systems, utilizing the integration of a sound HVAC strategy, appropriate daylighting techniques within the classrooms, as well as the improvement of site drainage for the campus. The adjacent open space serves multiple purposes alternating between focused circulation and a relaxed meandering area with tables, benches, and drinking fountains. Nestled within the “Y” form of the building are two courtyard spaces, the East and West courtyards providing areas of vegetation and areas that allow water to soak into the soil rather than sheeting off into the adjacent streets.