The reopening of Montbello High School marks more than the return of a neighborhood institution - it represents a reinvestment in community identity, public space, and the everyday landscapes that support civic life. Long regarded as a source of pride in northeast Denver, the original Montbello High School was known not only for its academic role but also for its storied athletics program and deep ties to generations of students and families. After the school's closure in 2014, the building was split into different specialty academies. In 2020, voters approved a bond initiative to reopen Montbello on its original site, pairing a new school building with a fully reimagined campus landscape.

From the outset, the Landscape Architects at Design Concepts understood that the site needed to function as more than a backdrop to the building. Community members, alumni, and school leaders consistently articulated a vision of the campus as a shared neighborhood asset - one that could host youth sports, performances, and informal gatherings while also reinforcing the school's legacy. Several members of the design advisory committee - including executives from Denver Public Schools - were themselves Montbello alumni, underscoring the emotional and historical significance of the project. That collective memory became a guiding force, shaping the landscape as a civic framework rather than a purely academic environment.


Curvilinear concrete walls address the site's nearly 14-foot grade change, providing structure for a 425-foot-long, switchback ramp that forms the spine of the amphitheater while creating terraces for seating and gathering. Planter walls include deep footers, the interior of the planter walls were dampproofed, and the exposed walls include a half-inch layer of foamboard insulation. The planters were filled with a planter's mix medium, including a compost with 40% organic matter.

Designing a Campus That Radiates Outward
The scope of the landscape design encompassed the full range of outdoor spaces that define daily campus life. These included outdoor dining areas, community gathering spaces, smaller academic courtyards, pedestrian connections from the surrounding neighborhood, and a series of entry plazas, each calibrated to a specific audience and use. The main entry plaza incorporates seating and a 'Legacy Walk' that acknowledges school tradition, while a separate athletics entry plaza supports event-day activity. New post-tension tennis courts with integrated seating, dedicated shot put and discus areas, and a generous community lawn designed for youth sports further reinforce the role of the campus as a shared recreational resource. Throughout the site, waterwise planting strategies provide year-round interest while aligning with long-term sustainability goals. Underlying these programmatic elements was a broader ambition: to cultivate a campus atmosphere that transcends the typical high school environment and reflects the community's core values - Truth, Honor, and Dignity.

Warrior Plaza: The Heart of the Campus
At the center of the site - and the project's defining gesture - is Warrior Plaza. Located on the footprint of the original school building, the plaza occupies a space of collective memory, transforming it into a contemporary outdoor room. Its position is symbolic and functional: as the former structure was demolished, the plaza emerged, serving as a bridge between Montbello's past and future.


Four cast-in-place concrete walls were built to provide the school with a "canvas" to implement art programming. Ranging in height from 3 to 5 feet, these walls were installed with a smooth form and rubbed finish as well as a 2-inch-wide by 1-inch-deep reveal that defines the edge on both faces. In the background, walled planters filled with Hot Wings Maple (Acer tataricum 'Garann'), Japanese Pagoda Tree (Sophora japonica), and 'Gro Lo' Sumac (Rhus Aromatica 'Gro Lo') serve as visual and structural anchors.

 
Warrior Plaza is directly adjacent to the two-story student commons with floor-to-ceiling glazing opening westward to an amphitheater and plaza. This relationship dissolves the boundary between interior and exterior, allowing student life to spill outdoors throughout the day. The plaza functions simultaneously as circulation space, gathering area, and performance venue, supporting assemblies, performances, informal socializing, and community events.

A significant grade change - approximately 14 feet - between the main school entry and the student commons initially presented a technical accessibility challenge. Rather than treating the required ramp as a utilitarian afterthought, the design team reframed it as an organizing element. The resulting curvilinear ramp flows through the amphitheater as it descends, acting as a central spine that shapes movement while creating terraces for seating and gathering. What could have been a single-purpose circulation element became, instead, a defining spatial experience, reinforcing the plaza's role as the social heart of the campus.


In place of the former building, a 3.8-acre community lawn comprising a three-way blend of Bluegrass was installed. Other plant materials were specified for their resilience and suitability to the Colorado climate, such as Spring Snow Crabapple (Malus 'Spring Snow'), Coronado Red Hyssop (Agastache 'Pstessene'), and Panchito Manzanita (Arctostaphylos coloradoensis 'Panchito'). Irrigation equipment includes a weather sensor, a locking, bolt down valve box, a manual drain valve, and an electric irrigation controller, hydrometer, sensor decoder, and master valve decoder.

Collaboration and Construction on an Occupied Site
The project began as a collaborative effort from day one. The architectural team at EUA and Eidos Architects along with Design Concepts convened an in-person kickoff meeting with the full consultant team and contractor, establishing an integrated design process from the beginning. The general contractor was engaged as a Construction Manager/General Contractor (CMGC), providing critical input on construction phasing as the team navigated the complexities of an occupied campus.


The eastside courtyards serve as outdoor rooms for gatherings of all sizes. To break up the long, linear feel, a variety of tables and seating options were installed including 13 slotted tables and four bistro tables alongside 36-inch precast concrete benches and 'Cloud' seats from Wausau Tile. Courtyard surfacing consists of concrete flatwork bisected with black bands flanked by alternating areas of grey and tan, 4-inch-deep, stabilized crusher fines that serve as the required "non-irrigated dry zones" against the building foundation.

Adding to the challenge was the desire to retain several existing building elements, including the pool, gym, and auditorium, as well as an existing track and field complex. Close coordination among the landscape, architectural, civil, and structural teams allowed the project to advance while maintaining school programs on site. The curvilinear geometry of Warrior Plaza proved instrumental in this effort, enabling portions of the amphitheater, ramp and planter walls to be constructed in an initial phase while the existing building remained in place.


The Montbello High School logo was embedded in exterior surfaces at the school entrance and in the center of the amphitheater to extend school identity into the landscape. The insignia was formed and finished in the flatwork with an integral concrete mix of 'Onyx' for the logo and 'Slate' for the concrete bands. PHOTO: JAMES RAY SPAHN

Crafting the Details
The most complex design elements are concentrated within Warrior Plaza. The amphitheater area was shaped through a carefully coordinated grading plan that integrates the accessible ramp, seating terraces, and planters. Detailed wall sections, paving layouts, and planter details were developed to ensure constructability and long-term durability.


Lighting was integrated into the amphitheater seating and along the stairs of the Warrior Plaza to define circulation routes and extend the plaza's usability into the evening. Fixtures include 6-foot and 9-foot-long LED step lights as well as illuminated bollards. PHOTO: JAMES RAY SPAHN

Each planter includes underdrains tied into the site's stormwater system, which required close coordination with civil engineering. Structural engineers worked alongside the landscape team to develop integrated concrete wall and seating sections that seamlessly interface with the ramp and adjacent stairs. Construction sequencing was particularly demanding: with limited space - approximately 20 feet between the new and existing buildings - the contractor excavated, formed, and poured curvilinear concrete walls while simultaneously building up grade for the 425-foot-long ramp.


Leading to the main entry plaza, which connects multiple pedestrian pathways, the Legacy Walk features pavement with integral colored, cast-in-place concrete bands and a memorial plaque salvaged from the original site embedded in a cast-in-place concrete wall with a board-form finish. The entry plaza accommodates two flagpoles with high wind speed ratings. PHOTO: JAMES RAY SPAHN

Concrete flatwork control joints were meticulously coordinated with architectural rhythms, while colored concrete accents highlight key entry points and Warrior Plaza itself. To reinforce school pride, the Montbello logo is embedded within the concrete at the main entry, plaza center, and athletics entrance.


Other site elements include 5-foot-long contour benches, circular bike racks, 45-gallon trash/recycler receptacles with side doors, and 12-foot-high pedestrian lights. PHOTO: JAMES RAY SPAHN

A Place Claimed by Its Community
Since reopening, Montbello High School and its reimagined campus have been enthusiastically embraced by students, staff, and neighbors. Post-occupancy visits reveal a landscape in constant use: students gathering on amphitheater steps between classes, community members attending events in Warrior Plaza, and youth sports practices unfolding on the community lawn. What began as a response to programmatic needs and topographic constraints has become a civic landscape that reflects Montbello's history while supporting its future.

As seen in LASN magazine, June 2026.