Holloman Elementary School

A new elementary school for 600 students consolidated two existing elementary schools on Holloman Air Force Base. In accordance with the district’s preference, the new school was constructed so that students could remain in one of the existing buildings through construction. Once students moved into the new building, the remainder of the campus was demolished and the area was left clear, ready to be redeveloped as the site of a new middle school.

Alamogordo Public Schools’ Superintendent wanted this project to celebrate the Air Force Base and be a beacon of 21st century learning. He desired the school to be clearly visible not just from the viewer’s eye on the ground, but also from the pilot’s point of view in the sky above.  Drawing inspiration from the flight pattern of an F-16 aircraft, Greer Stafford used a “contrail” to draw the visitor towards the main entrance.  The “contrail” continues rising from the building forming the oculus of the media center. At the heart of the school the media center celebrates learning with two makerspaces and a high-tech digital experiment lab.

The administration is located at the main entry with clear lines of sight to the main street entrance and parking lots for enhanced supervision The school’s core opens in three directions with three single-story classroom wings. All classrooms have been designed with similar amenities to allow for future flexibility and growth. Core facilities —cafeteria, kitchen, and multi-purpose room — are located on the southwestern wing, adjacent to both the main and overflow parking. The multi-purpose room and cafeteria is divided by an operable partition that allows the two spaces to be combined for larger assemblies.

SIZE

72,150 GSF of new construction

SERVICES

Programming, design, construction documents, construction administration, project management

HIGHLIGHTS

School replacement

Construction on active school site

Construction on active military base

Incorporates CPTED principals for enhanced security