Projects - Infrastructures
Civil Engineering: Land Development and Utilities

Stargate Charter School

Thornton, Colorado

Hutton Ford Architects

LORIS completed the site and building design for the new charter school on a 6.8-acre site.  Our design achieved the integration of a 44,000 square-foot school building with site facilities including multi-purpose playfields, play areas and educational wetlands within the site detention pond.  The site was designed to incorporate two areas for future school expansions.

Site access, located adjacent to a major intersection, was achieved by performing a double switch back within the parent drop off loop, while maintaining fire access requirements.   LORIS designed a shared access driveway entrance combining an adjacent church parking lot with the proposed school parking lot, providing both facilities with adjacent overflow parking areas.  The integration of these parking facilities has proven mutually beneficial to each parcel since peak operation of the facilities do not coincide.   

Site grading and drainage incorporates multi-use play fields and the 44,000 square-foot building footprint on a 6.8 acre site with over fourteen feet of grade change. To address site constraints, the building grade level was designed to accommodate a 3-foot elevation difference between the two education wings to holistically minimize cutsand fill on the sloping site.  The resulting storm sewer infrastructure was significantly reduced, minimizing both site construction and maintenance costs.

The site utility design included sewer flow analysis and water system modeling for existing and proposed water mains surrounding the site.  The design also included additional capacities for future school expansions.