Renovation/Restoration: Award of Merit: Natrona County High School Historic Renovations

Renovations to the Natrona County High School’s auditorium—home to statewide competitions and the Wyoming Symphony—provided the greatest challenges for the project team.

Photo courtesy of Adolfson & Peterson

Natrona County High School Historic Renovations
Casper, Wyo.
Award of Merit

Owner: Natrona County School District No. 1
Lead Design Firm: Bassetti Architects
General Contractor: Adolfson & Peterson Construction
Structural Engineer: PCS Structural Solutions
Civil Engineer: WLC Engineering, Surveying & Planning
MEP Engineer: WSP
Key Subcontractors: Casper Electric; GW Mechanical; IMS Masonry; Pepper Tank; Phaze Concrete Inc.; Sheet Metal Specialties; Standard Drywall

Bringing Wyoming’s first education center back to life required both a vision and a long-term commitment to preserving history and providing space for future generations to thrive. The 115,000-sq-ft historic portion of the building, built in 1924 to house both Casper College and Natrona County High School, was once attended by former Vice President Dick Cheney.

Working on a 1924 building involved historic, hand-drawn plans and numerous surprises. Renovations to the auditorium—home to statewide competitions and the Wyoming Symphony—provided the greatest challenges. Among other things, the new foundation was 9 ft deeper than the original, requiring extensive shoring.

For more than five years, crews carefully restored the school’s historical elements and added new space. The school now features new gyms, science labs, a media center and technology workshops.