| | Albuquerque Public Schools
Monroe Middle School  | | The Monroe Middle School site is in the midst of an ancient lava flow that presented the design team with significant challenges. The constant wind, blowing sand, and lack of vegetation are additional environmental impacts addressed in the school design.
Approximately 75,000 cubic yards of soil and were brought to the site and were used to build the elevation up as much as 8 feet to accommodate the sanitary and storm sewer lines, water lines and a building foundation.
The school design is a fusion of traditional pueblo elements such as battered walls, natural rock elements, and deep set windows interpreted in a contemporary design idiom. The angular metal roof seems to float over the school, a natural extension of the constant winds. The school is designed in a horseshoe configuration oriented to the East. Solid walls on the west side of the school provide a protected courtyard for multifunctional activities. |
