Swaim Associates is committed to designing innovative yet economical educational facilities. We have been involved with everything from elementary schools to adult education centers. Below are three projects that show a bit of our scope and diversity.

civano community school

Contact : Phil Swaim

A 4400 SF, three classroom school facility which utilizes the Heydon Building system - a local company which has received the energy star seal.

Top

cienega high school

16 Million, 221,000 SF, Completed in 2002

Contact : Mark Bollard, Phil Swaim

Cienega High School is a 221,000 square foot campus designed for 1,650 students. Each of the “houses” within the school has its own administration office, teachers’ center, classrooms, science labs, computer labs and unique courtyard. Cienega is not just a high school, but also a community center. The athletic fields are a shared public park and the academic areas serve as a satellite campus for Pima Community College. At $73 per square foot, the facility is within the tight budget provided by the State of Arizona. This project was a joint venture with BPLW Architects & Engineers of Mesa, Arizona.

Top

tusd activity centers

Three schools had multi-purpose rooms that were not up to the school facilities board’s requirements. The stand-alone structures were designed to be functional large open rooms with the potential to be split into three classroom spaces with restrooms, utilities, and storage. The pre-engineered structure has a high brick wainscot to tie into the existing brick buildings on each campus as well as large translucent panels above to bring in natural light.

Top

el rio adult education center

Contact: Phil Swaim

Keeping in context with the whole of El Rio Neighborhood Center, the Adult Education building consists of two more bi-level modules that are turned in on each other to form another courtyard space. A lightweight steel-trussed canopy overhead and pedestrian bridges on the upper level link the modules.

Top

el pueblo center adult education

Contact : Phil Swaim

This building at the El Pueblo Center combines two existing Adult Education sites. It contains administrative offices, staff and instructor resource areas, classrooms, computer labs, a GED testing facility and outdoor spaces to enable Pima County Adult Education to better serve their students. The center courtyard is not only an informal gathering and circulation space, but also serves large public functions. Swaim Associates worked closely with the City to accomplish this project within a tight budget.

Top

hollinger elementary school

This multi-purpose building was designed to function as a gymnasium, auditorium and cafeteria for an existing school of 800 students. It also has a full service kitchen. A simple combination of insulated full size modular clay brick and concrete masonry emphasizes the horizontal covered walk along the south and west sides. Insulated transluscent wall panels provide natural light throughout the large space. A twelve classroom addition was also completed and the existing school was renovated for ADA compliance, energy efficiency and functional improvements.

Top

robins elementary school

Design Award Citation from Southern Arizona AIA

11 Acres, 49,000 SF, $3.6 Million, Completed 1994

Contact : Mark Bollard

To alleviate overcrowding at two west side elementary schools, TUSD planned for a new school to be located in the northwest portion of the district's attendance boundary. Working with TUSD Planning Department and a citizens building committee, Swaim Associates assisted with evaluating three sites. Several factors were important to the committee: vehicular & pedestrian access to the site, impact on residential properties, and location related to utilities. We walked each site, prepared a list of pros and cons, and developed preliminary site concepts to test building locations and traffic considerations.

The design concept evolved from the main functional spaces - multipurpose, administration, and library - which are visually emphasized by the pyramidal-shaped metal roofs. Translucent skylights surmount the multipurpose and library roof structures to provide natural light. Classroom wings extend from the library element within lower profile structures. The pyramidal roof form is further repeated at small ramadas located to provide emphasis and identity at the principal building entry points. Masonry walls in varying textures and earth tones and roof forms in varying hues of blue and gray reflect the natural colors of the desert and nearby Tucson Mountains.

Top

hayden swimming pool

This unique project included the refurbishment of a 180,000 gallon pool constructed in 1929. A new gunite shell was formed within the existing structure and all plumbing and equipment was replaced to facilitate operation and maintenance. The new bathhouse opens up to the pool and contains men’s and women’s changing rooms, restrooms, a central lifeguard office and storage areas.

Top

miles elementary school

This 1928 preschool through eighth grade school received a complete reorganization and renovation. In addition to the ADA upgrades, reroof, mechanical and electrical systems improvements, and parking reorganization, two key functions, the administration and media center (library), were significantly improved.

Top

bonillas elementary library

$1.9 Million, 2000 SF, Completed in 1991

Contact : Mark Bollard

A major remodeling and renovation of a 40,000 square foot elementary school built in 1954 included a new library, functional remodeling of the building and site, code compliance, accessibility, re-roofing, and replacement of mechanical and electrical systems. The library building form is a direct response to student circulation patterns, a diagonal school entrance and central lobby. The north facade and plaza create a small symmetrical amphitheater around the stage. Large expanses of north glass and south ribbon windows allow natural light for reading activities. The exposed vault trusses express a relationship to the courtyard trusses of the original building.

Top

ochoa elementary school

This 1923 kindergarten through fifth grade school received a full renovation of the building and site. The interior administration functions were remodeled to increase efficiency. Finishes like flooring, ceilings and painting were replaced and improved while upgrades to restrooms and doorways were made to accommodate the ADA accessibility requirements. Mechanically, a new cooling system was installed and upgrades to the kitchen and restroom fixtures were implemented. Site renovations included new parking lots, fencing, basketball courts, planting and irrigation.

Top

tusd modular classrooms

This project required the design, construction documents and construction of 26 classrooms at five sites around Tucson within a six month period. The solution was based on a two classroom unit with a flexible core. The core design varied based on the requirements of each site and could include full size student restrooms accessed from the outside (Cholla High) or joint use teacher/counselor offices and small toilet rooms accessed of each classroom (elementary schools). The classroom/core units could be assembled into pods and placed on sites to interface with pedestrian circulation routes. Proper seperations were maintained from existing buildings so fire sprinklers were not required and the existing building systems were not comprimised. To meet the schedule, prefabricated units were built in Phoenix and assembled on site. Exterior finish systems were flexible and could be altered to match each individual school. All 26 classrooms were constucted in 2-1/2 months.

Top