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Adams 12 unveils Thornton High replacement and Future Forward Bowman CTE addition, aims to start construction in 2026
Summary
Trainer architects and district facilities staff presented schematic plans for a new Thornton High School and an expanded Future Forward Bowman CTE addition, with construction slated to begin in 2026.
Adams 12 Five Star Schools facilities staff and designers presented schematic designs and a project schedule for the Thornton High School replacement and the Future Forward Bowman addition at the Nov. 5 board meeting.
"We are currently in design development for the project," Scott Dangle, a principal at Trainer, told the board. He said the team will issue a design development package in early December and expects an athletic-fields package in February 2026, with construction starting in 2026. (Thornton High design update, 00:44:11.)
Design highlights presented by the Trainer team and the district's Director of Facilities Design, Margie Ammon, include:
- Site and massing: the new high school will be sited on the footprint of the existing baseball field; the main entry faces the student parking area and secure vestibule; athletics and performing-arts volumes are on the south face of the building.
- Building layout: a two-story plan with a main single-story public front that opens into a central "hub" for student gathering and circulation; the second floor houses a library/media center and counseling suite overlooking secured courtyards.
- CTE integration: the Future Forward Bowman addition will relocate and expand CTE programs including cosmetology/salon spaces, video production, engineering/maker spaces, ProStart culinary labs (with operable walls to create restaurant-style serving opportunities) and a dental-assisting lab. Renderings shown to the board emphasized durable exterior materials, timber interior accents and daylighting.
Board members raised operational questions during the presentation. Director Paula Potter asked specifically about ventilation for the cosmetology/salon spaces, noting concerns about volatile organic compounds and monomer smells in beauty programs. Architects and staff said ventilation and air-exchange rates will be addressed during design development with mechanical engineers. (Q&A, 01:02:16.)
District staff said the project is the largest in the bond program and that Trainer is the lead design partner with Accenture serving as owner's representative. Staff noted schematic design had been issued and that the team will meet with teachers to refine instructional adjacencies and equipment needs before finalizing design development.
