Best Redeeming Architecture
STAFF PICK: A deep bow of gratitude to Catalina Foothills School District and Burns and Wald-Hopkins Architects for their inspired approach to educational building. The Ventana Vista Elementary School, completed in August 1994, is a 90,000-square-foot "City for Children" that rises out of the ground like some ancient Mayan civilization. Rather than being built on a site bladed flat by the dozers, Ventana Vista classrooms and office spaces settle into the natural lay of the land, with respect for the site's desert context and natural history. Each grade is a separate "village" with a unique elevation and identifying feature, such as the K-1's "mystery light monitor," the grade two-three solstice wall (marking significant dates in the history of the Southwest); the periscope in the fourth-fifth grade village, which reflects the Santa Catalina Mountains upside down; and the giant kaleidoscope above the library reading room, which has Native-American artifacts suspended in clear, round resin molds. Driving east on Kolb Road, you'll see the white tent structure suspended over the multi-purpose room, tying the school in with the origins of ancient nomadic desert encampments. The school, at 6085 N. Kolb Road, was designed by Antoine Predock, an internationally noted design architect out of New Mexico. The idea to team up with a world-class designer well known for his environmentally sensitive design philosophy goes to the local firm, Burns and Wald-Hopkins Architects, which executed the project from design development through completion of construction. Spit out your sour grapes if you don't happen to live in this neighborhood. As architecture is a statement about our community as a whole, the school is not only a treasure for the children there, but for the larger community that saw the need for its design and defended its construction.
