portfolio / First Mesa Elementary School
LEED™ Certified
Polacca, Arizona
The First Mesa Elementary School was designed for the First Mesa Village in the community of Polacca, Arizona on the Hopi Indian Reservation. The new facility is programmed to serve 400 students in kindergarten thru the sixth grade within a total square footage of 74,500. The new school opened for classes in September 2004 and replaced an over-crowded and antiquated facility.
edi was the LEED™ Accredited Professional and environmental facilitator for this school project. The LEED™ Rating System was used as a guide to develop an environmentally responsive, healthy, learning environment for learning. edi was responsible for coordination between Kitchell Contractors, Dyron Murphy Architects, and the project engineers to achieve environmental project goals.
The design team worked with the students, staff and the community to design the new school to meet the program developed by the Bureau of Indian Affairs and incorporate Hopi cultural concepts into the new facility. The design of the school attempts to speak to the native culture of the area. A strong form influencing the design process of the school was the Walpi Mesa, which overlooks the site. The exterior forms and the building plan take their shape and feel from the Mesa, which is the home village of the people of First Mesa. The design incorporates stone and masonry inside and out. The exterior masonry and EIFS wall surface designs are Hopi and the stonework was designed to relate back to the built and natural forms found in the area. The stonework carries into the main interior space creating display spaces for children’s work and culturally significant works of art.
| edi Role | LEED Accredited Professional |
| Construction Costs | $14 Million |
| Size | 75,000 SF |
| Completion Date | August 2004 |
| Client | Bureau of Indian Affairs Phil Saracino, 505.346.6518
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| Architect | Dyron Murphy Architects Jim Houser, 505.830.0203 |
| Contractor | Kitchell Contractors Rod Brown, 602.222.5300 |
Notable Accomplishments
First LEED™ Certified Building in Arizona