RB+B’s design concept for the New Vista High School Design Competition at Boulder Valley School District was awarded a Rockies Design Award for an unbuilt project in the 2021 Rocky Mountain Chapter A4LE Awards (Association for Learning Environments). The design encompasses 64,700 SF and accommodates 300-350 students on an existing 11-acre site. The A4LE Design Awards evaluate projects in four areas: Planning Process, Learning Environment, Physical Environment, and Community Environment.

Design Competition Overview:

In Summer 2021, Boulder Valley School District issued an RFQ to engage five firms in a design competition for the New Vista High School replacement school project. (The project was taken through the conceptual design process only and will not be built.) New Vista, a non-traditional high school located at the corner of Broadway and Baseline Roads in Boulder, serves 300 students and incorporates a curriculum based upon personalized learning. Its current site is adjacent to the University of Colorado campus and boasts magnificent views of the Flatirons to the west. The existing building no longer supports New Vista’s program and educational delivery styles, and is also oversized for its current student enrollment. Inaccessibility and aging systems contributed to the District’s decision to replace the building.

The conceptual process and design is based upon how students, staff, and the community would individually and collectively experience the reimagined New Vista High School site. The design approach embraces the unique aspects of the New Vista program and articulates a response that is flexible in nature while delivering various opportunities for individual and community learning. The building concept responds to the site, welcomes in the community, encourages individual exploration within a collective environment, highlights sustainability and the opportunity for personalization, and delivers a unique sequence of spaces to support academic and personal growth while meeting the diverse needs of the New Vista student community.