Tres Volcanes Community Collaborative School, named after three inactive volcanoes near the school’s location, is the second incarnation of a new and collaboration-focused kindergarten through 8th grade model designed by Jon Anderson Architecture and built by Bradbury Stamm Construction, and is a much-needed addition to Albuquerque’s growing community.
The school makes use of biophilic design by using a grapevine for inspiration, which according to Jon Anderson Architecture replicates “a stem nourishing a series of grape leaves which in themselves are micro-communities of cells.” The main corridor, or “stem”, provides access to differentiated learning areas which offer 74 flexible learning spaces designed to provide learning opportunities for any type of group – large or small. The “stem” that links these learning spaces also provides space for the school’s mechanical systems, as well as a large grouping of rooftop solar panels.
The Tres Volcanes Community Collaborative School also echoes its surroundings through the use of dark grey and white exterior, mirroring the dark basalt and lighter colored mineral deposits in the landscape. The ever-present sunlight of the Southwest is also utilized, as the school utilizes a number of daylighting systems, including Guardian 275® wall panels, to bring in natural light and help offset artificial lighting costs. The Guardian 275® translucent wall panels help to brighten some otherwise dark corridors, and to bathe the gymnasium space in diffuse sunlight. Translucent panels are an excellent tool for hot and sun-filled environments as they provide built-in shading of direct sunlight, block damaging UV, and can be insulated for added control of solar heat gain. The wide variety of energy-saving tactics used in the school have also helped Tres Volcanes target LEED® Gold certification, and win the 2019 Elevate Merit Award from the New Mexico Chapter of the American Institute of Architects.
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