2012 Award of Merit
K-12 Education
Boulder Valley Schools Columbine Replacement Elementary
Boulder, Colo.
Initially conceived as a remodeling project, Boulder's aging Columbine Elementary was instead replaced with a new state-of-the-art school building. The design significantly reduces annual operations and maintenance costs while educating children about green technologies and resource conservation.
The goal was to build the new school in an established neighborhood where some residents opposed the project. The team had to work around aging, narrow streets and limited storage space and next to a fully operational elementary school whose daily operations could not be interrupted. Despite these challenges, the result was a new building completed one month ahead of schedule and $62,000 under budget.
Key Players
Owner: Boulder Valley School District RE-2, Boulder
Architect: Bennett Wagner & Grody Architects, Denver
General Contractor: Adolfson & Peterson, Aurora, Colo.
Civil & Structural Engineer: JVA Consulting, Boulder
MEP Engineer: Cator Ruma & Associates, Lakewood, Colo.
Entry submitted by Adolfson & Peterson Construction
