Carlsbad Municipal Schools Prototype Elementary School Design
Carlsbad, NM
In 2014 NCA was hired by Carlsbad Municipal Schools to design a prototype elementary school. This prototype will be used on four subsequent elementary schools within the Carlsbad Municipal Schools district. Two of which, Desert Willow Elementary and Ocotillo Elementary, are currently under construction.

NCA used the “neighborhood” classroom structure in the design of this prototype. Each neighborhood houses 6 grade specific classrooms, student restrooms, staff work room, staff restrooms, IT room, and support spaces. These areas surround a central collaboration space providing an opportunity for classrooms to work independently or in groups within the grade.
This prototype design includes:

• “Neighborhood” Classroom design
• Grade specific collaboration spaces
• Flexible walls and learning spaces for cross-grade collaboration
• Separate pick-up/drop-off circulation for lower grades
• Window wall design maximizes daylighting in each classroom.
• High level security design for emergency situations.
• State-of-the-art technology