In 1994, a group of parents founded Stargate School in Thornton, Colo., 10 miles northeast of Denver. And for more than two decades, Stargate has served gifted and talented students from kindergarten through 8th grade.
Last year, Stargate rented space from a nearby church in order to expand its educational services to 9th graders. But that move betrayed Stargate’s need for a much bigger facility to realize its goal of becoming a K-12 learning center.
On August 23, Stargate opened a new $51 million charter school located on a 43-acre campus near the intersection of Interstate 25 and 144th Avenue. (Stargate sold its old building to the Archdiocese of Denver, which plans to continue using it as a school).
The project, which broke ground in May 2015, is the largest charter school project in Colorado, and the second-largest to be completed in the nation. It includes two academic buildings (K-6th grade gets 75,000 sf; 7th-12th 55,000 sf), a 25,000-sf field house and weight room; and an amphitheater. The site design incorporates a quad-style campus, and each academic building includes breakout spaces and a learning commons/makerspace for kids to pursue “passion projects.”
Stargate added a 10th grade for this school year, when enrollment is 1,175. Stargate will add 11th and 12th grades in 2017 and 2018, respectively, bringing Stargate's projected total enrollment to 1,600.
The school is chartered by Adams 12 Five Star School District. It was designed by the Denver studio of Hord|Coplan|Macht, and built by JHL Constructors. Inline Management is the owner’s rep. “The campus design and the variety of learning spaces we created reflect the innovative educational vision of the school leadership and board members that we worked with from the beginning. They were an inspiration to the design team,” says Adele Willson, principal, Hord|Coplan|Macht.
The project was developed through a public-private partnership that includes Stargate, the City of Thornton, the landowner, investors, and the AEC team. It was financed with bonds through a company called Colorado Bond Shares. The school will pay back the bonds out of operating funds.
The new Stargate School is part of a 70-acre mixed-used development in Thornton, where five acres of retail and commercial space are planned adjacent to the educational facility. The Denver Business Journal reported that the other 22 acres are earmarked for future development, although for what has yet to be disclosed.
The new school will add an 11th and 12th grade class in the next two school years, bringing its enrollment to around 1,600. Image: Courtesy of Stargate School.
Related Stories
| Apr 10, 2013
23 things you need to know about charter schools
Charter schools are growing like Topsy. But don’t jump on board unless you know what you’re getting into.
| Apr 5, 2013
Snøhetta design creates groundbreaking high-tech library for NCSU
The new Hunt Library at North Carolina State University, Raleigh, incorporates advanced building features, including a five-story robotic bookBot automatic retrieval system that holds 2 million volumes in reduced space.
| Apr 2, 2013
6 lobby design tips
If you do hotels, schools, student unions, office buildings, performing arts centers, transportation facilities, or any structure with a lobby, here are six principles from healthcare lobby design that make for happier users—and more satisfied owners.
| Mar 27, 2013
RSMeans cost comparisons: college labs, classrooms, residence halls, student unions
Construction market analysts from RSMeans offer construction costs per square foot for four building types across 25 metro markets.
| Mar 21, 2013
Are charter schools killing private schools?
A recent post on Atlantic Cities highlights research by the U.S. Census Bureau's Stephanie Ewert that shows a correlation between the growth of charter schools and the decline in private school enrollment.
| Mar 20, 2013
Folding glass walls revitalize student center
Single-glazed storefronts in the student center at California’s West Valley College were replaced with aluminum-framed, thermally broken windows from NanaWall in a bronze finish that emulates the look of the original building.
| Mar 15, 2013
Singapore R&D campus takes top honor in Lab of Year competition
Singapore CREATE R&D campus takes top honor in Lab of Year competition, sponsored by R&D Magazine.
| Mar 14, 2013
25 cities with the most Energy Star certified buildings
Los Angeles, Washington, D.C., and Chicago top EPA's list of the U.S. cities with the greatest number of Energy Star certified buildings in 2012.
