The original school was built in 1961 and through multiple community meetings we established that the existing middle school and gymnasium have a sentimental value to the entire community. Minor ADA upgrades to this portion of the school keeps it intact and a new administrative, multipurpose and K-5 wing draws inspiration from the existing school’s mid-century modern style and the prominent, mining vernacular of Tonopah. A geothermal ground source heat pump system heats and cools the school while the north/south building orientation provides day light and natural ventilation with operable windows with an indicator system that takes advantage of optimum temperatures and humidity. This system shuts down to a lower tier of operation and substantially reduces the school’s overall energy cost. We anticipate that the geothermal system will have a short, 7 year payback due to the low overall energy consumption. The new school is LEED equivalent.