ERNIE PYLE MIDDLE SCHOOL - 6TH GRADE BUILDING

The new Ernie Pyle Middle School 6th Grade Building is a 23,500 square foot classroom, science lab and administration building located in Albuquerque's South Valley. It is Baker A+D's latest venture with Albuquerque Public Schools and offers a glimpse of the vast potential of the future of school design.

The site identified in the Master Plan presented a unique challenge to the design team. The building sits directly between the school's grass play field and its basketball courts, which act as a central gathering place on campus. A traditional solution would have completely isolated the grass field, reduce visibility, and block the flow of students from one space to the other. Baker A+D worked with APS to develop a two-story solution which left the majority of the first floor open as an outdoor teaching and gathering space. Located among a field of columns, this area features a "learning ziggurat" and large concrete ball wall while also allowing for the natural flow of students across the campus to continue uninterrupted.

A big part of the design was the incorporation of solar, both passive and active. Photovoltaic panels are incorporated into the south facade as part of a shade awning which controls the amount of natural daylight entering the second floor classrooms. The second floor corridor, which will also be used for displaying student work, features a large light monitor which runs the length of the building and brings natural light into the corridor and every second floor classroom. Polished concrete floors, state-of-the-art science labs, custom steel signage, blue jean insulation and high-quality acoustic design are just some of the other elements that came together as part of this exciting project.

Construction was completed in March of 2016 and, along with the completion of the Ernie Pyle Middle School Fine Arts Building Renovation, is on track to reach LEED Gold Certification.