Located on the former Wildcreek Golf Course, this project marks the first time that the Washoe County School District has built a new high school campus in more than 15 years. The 298,000-sq-ft STEM-focused high school was constructed to accommodate a student population of approximately 2,500 and features more than 42 state-of-the-art classrooms as well as laboratories. The school’s additional features include a full-service culinary instruction kitchen, a 435-seat performing arts center, two gymnasiums and multiple comprehensive sports fields.

Designed and built with an emphasis on sustainability, the campus utilizes a geothermal exchange heating and cooling system as well as high-efficiency lighting. Additionally, reclaimed effluent sources provide landscape irrigation, helping to conserve potable water and reducing environmental impact.

Photos by Vance Fox Photos, Courtesy Clark/Sullivan Construction

The school’s three-story wing was built using post-and-beam construction, a method that was chosen to help maximize natural light and views in the classroom spaces. For the athletics and performing arts areas, the project team opted for masonry bearing walls to ensure durability and sound isolation.

Thought and innovation drove the design team, which utilized durable materials, maximized natural lighting and exterior connectivity and enhanced the functionality and flexibility of the building. To create a cohesive aesthetic between the academic and athletics/performing arts areas, the architect opted to utilize matching masonry veneer in certain areas, while opting for accent window boxes at select locations to provide a compositional tie. The glazing approach was also integrated between classrooms and group spaces.

Considering the site’s previous life as a golf course, the design and project teams worked through several feasibility studies and pricing options to select the most cost-efficient and logistically sound site for the campus.

Both the design and budget evolved during preconstruction as the campus scope, size and complexity increased, nearly doubling the initial budget of $85 million to reach $165 million. But the team ultimately completed work under budget, saving more than $12 million. This campus will serve as a prototype and model design for future high schools, something the client is already exploring, according to the project team.

Photos by Vance Fox Photos, Courtesy Clark/Sullivan Construction

A phased approach also helped the project team achieve completion ahead of schedule in June 2022. Part of that effort included rerouting the Orr Ditch, a century-old waterway, through an underground inverted siphon to avoid having an open waterway on the campus.

Additionally, offsite improvements helped to provide safe pedestrian travel routes to the school as well as an efficient traffic flow pattern for the community at large.

Photos by Vance Fox Photos, Courtesy Clark/Sullivan Construction