The existing Deming High School was an aging facility with a host of issues. The disjointed layout had buildings sprawled haphazardly across the 40-acre site, making it challenging for staff to monitor students and maintain a secure campus. The majority of facilities were from the 1950s era and past their useful life. Parking was inadequate, and there were conflicts between vehicular and pedestrian traffic.

After working closely with Deming Public School’s building committee and the New Mexico PSFA, Greer Stafford’s team arrived at a design that successfully resolved the issues and allowed the school to be replaced on the same site, with minimal disruption to the learning process. New facilities are consolidated in a single, 208,000 SF, 2-story building organized around a central outdoor commons, which allows students space to congregate outside, while still maintaining a secure, well-supervised campus. The new building is constructed out of modern, efficient, and durable materials for ease of maintenance. Parking, drop-offs, and pedestrian traffic have been reorganized for greater safety. A former middle school that occupied the same site was retained and renovated/re-purposed for use by the High School’s vocational and special education programs.