When Adams Twelve Five Star Schools replaced its aging natatorium and associated change house at Northglenn High School with a new one in another location, the de-commissioned space was envisioned as an opportunity to extend the District’s emerging (and popular) science, technology, engineering, and mathematics curriculum pathway (“STEM” pathway) to the high school level. This facility is the first of its kind in the District and will be used as a laboratory for future STEM high school curriculum development.
LOCATION:
Northglenn, CO
CLIENT:
Adams 12 Five Star Schools
SCOPE:
16,000-Square-Foot Pool Conversion to STEM Space
COST:
$2.4 Million
COMPLETED:
2011
The existing pool vessel was filled with foam and a new concrete floor poured on top. The natatorium was then partitioned into four large learning studios, a fabrication lab, a larger presentation space, and a smaller presentation space. The learning studios are roughly twice the size of a typical classroom and designed to support engineering, information technology, and bio-science curricula. The change house was gutted and partitioned into support spaces including larger and smaller conference rooms, a workroom, a kitchenette, and restrooms.
A new separate entrance was created to give the new STEM space its own identity within the context of the larger high school campus, as STEM classes may be offered to students throughout the District. The conversion features an energy efficient mechanical system that utilizes displacement ventilation for ventilation and cooling and radiant ceiling panels for heating, the District’s first use of these technologies.
