Located in the rapidly-growing town of Erie, Colorado, the new Soaring Heights Preschool (PK) through 8th Grade School is the District’s first purpose-built PK-8 facility and follows the design principles for “21st Century Learning” environments.

The building’s shape and siting are designed to take advantage of spectacular views west toward the Colorado Rockies, and its form creates a private courtyard to the east which is internally-focused and supports a range of outdoor learning activities. Students on the Design Advisory Group nicknamed this courtyard the “Surprise Area” because it is hidden from the public side of the building, only discoverable upon visiting. It features a plaza that accommodates large school gatherings and has embedded geographic references to mountain peaks.

The building is organized into small, flexible learning neighborhoods, which break down the scale of the school for students and support the district’s goal of creating distinct PK-K, Elementary, and Middle School areas. These areas join together in the heart of the school, a large, multi-purpose dining and performance hall that features views to both the mountains and the courtyard. The nearby Middle and Elementary School maker labs promote the school’s focus on neuroscience.