CASTLE ROCK– Years of planning and construction work paid off in August 2021, when the F-Pod (4000 Wing) building addition was completed at Castle View High School. The wing opened its doors for a wealth of Career and Technical Education (CTE) programming space for journalism, bio-tech, and engineering students. While students are reaping the benefits of the new space, the team behind the F-Pod is receiving accolades for excellence in design and collaboration.
The project, green-lit by Douglas County citizens who voted to approve additional local funding for capital projects through a Bond in 2018, recently won a “Peak Merit” award for new construction design from the Rocky Mountain Chapter of the Association for Learning Environments (A4LE). A4LE is an organization that celebrates innovation in learning environments.
The F-Pod team’s work was selected among 23 other project finalists in the Rocky Mountain Region. Judges for the award evaluated each project on the planning process, the learning environment, physical environment, and community involvement.
“The process for the design and realization of the Castle View F-Pod expansion was tremendous in so many ways,” says Castle View High School Principal Dr. Rex Corr. “I feel that the Design Advisory Group - made up of parents, students, teachers, administrators, and our construction partners, and facilitated by Eidos Architects and NV5 - was instrumental in crafting the spaces and environments that best fit the needs of our school community.”
The F-pod addition was a collaborative effort between Eidos Architects, Adolfson & Peterson Construction, and NV5, the DCSD Bond Owner’s Representative.
Mae Ann Saas, Director of Client Relations at Eidos Architects, submitted the write-up for the award on behalf of the F-Pod Project Team. Saas says the award reflects a team that worked with one common goal in mind: providing an excellent learning environment for students.
“I really hope this shows taxpayers that their tax dollars achieve so much more than they realize,” says Saas. “They haven’t just bought floors, walls and a roof. They have invested in the lifelong learning of the students in their community.”
Victoria Horn, who served as the NV5 Project Manager on the F-Pod project, echoes the sentiment and gives a lot of credit to one particular person on the team for ensuring the project came together as smoothly as it did.
“It was our job to make sure taxpayers were getting their maximum value,” says Horn. “Rex did an amazing job with that while making sure that students were at the forefront of the work.”
The Castle View High School project broke ground in 2020 after more than a year of planning by the Design Advisory Group. It’s an $11.9 million project that provided the Sabercats nearly 28,300 square feet of much-needed additional space that now serves as a crown jewel for Castle View High School.
“The expansion is a great source of pride for our school, as it addressed capacity needs and expanded programming opportunities,” Corr adds. “Castle View has always committed to providing an excellent education in the optimal environment.
“For our teachers and students, this project has enabled us to do the great work we've always done - but at an even higher level. I congratulate Eidos Architects and all of the stakeholders involved on this prestigious award.”
Learn more about the Castle View High School F-Pod Project, from planning to ribbon cutting, and take a tour with DCSD Superintendent Corey Wise and Castle View High School Principal Dr. Rex Corr in the videos below.
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