bws | Architects
Project M.O.R.E. Alternative High School
This alternative high school for Tucson Unified School District No. 1 is located in a warehouse district south of Broadway Boulevard known as the Lost Barrio. We were originally commissioned to renovate an old office building at that location, but we were able to demonstrate that we could build a new school for about the same cost as renovating the old by using industrial construction technology.
Built for 300 students, the building is a two-story concrete tilt-up structure wrapped around a large covered courtyard. It houses classrooms, seminar rooms, labs, an auditorium, library and eating area. The courtyard provides comfortable hang-out space for the students, and effectively expands the functional area of the school without incurring a lot of cost.
TUSD has recently mounted 300 photovoltaic panels on the roof over the courtyard in collaboration with Tucson Electric Power, and the school now generates about 5% of its own electricity.
