AFUHSD considered rezoning the attendance zones, reducing Desert Edge's student population by 120 students and placing them at Verrado. The plan presented complications for students who required an alternate mode of transportation to attend Verrado, when they were able to walk to Desert Edge. The AFUHSD ultimately let these students stay at Desert Edge. Campus Desert Edge High School was designed by architecture firm EMC2 Group and constructed in two phases; the first phase was constructed by Sun Eagle Construction, while Adolfson and Peterson Construction completed the second phase. The phases were completed in time for the 2002-2003 and 2005-2006 school years, respectively. The second phase included additions to the classroom wings and gymnasium, as well as a new maintenance building and auditorium. Additional companies involved in the project include engineering company LSW Engineers and clean energy consultant Green Ideas. The campus covers and has a capacity of 1,600 students. The main campus consists of classrooms, administrative areas, a media center, a gymnasium, a 522-seat fine arts auditorium, a career technology area, and a student bookstore. Desert Edge uses informational interactive kiosks to provide information on, among other things, the water and electricity savings of the building, bus routes, and the weather. The campus is Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certified. Several expansions have been added to the campus since it opened in 2002, including a new field house in 2019. Designed as an energy efficient building, Desert Edge implements multiple high-performance energy saving strategies, such as daylighting and demand controlled ventilation. Water efficient strategies implemented at Desert Edge include water-cooled chillers with a water-side economizer. Adjacent water-based cooling towers use a chiller bypass, taking advantage of Arizona's arid climate. These water efficient strategies ultimately resulted in a 38% reduction in water savings as compared to the requirements laid out in the Energy Policy Act of 1992. The energy efficiency of building materials was also considered; the school's masonry walls use R-19 cavity insulation, while its metal deck roof uses R-30 insulation. The school's windows are dual-paned with a U-factor of 0.33. The roofing system is Energy Star rated, and low-emitting adhesives, sealants, and paints were used. To reduce the amount of formaldehyde, agri-fiber board was used in regards to cabinetry. In 2010, solar panels were installed on the roof of the school's campus, as part of a clean energy initiative by the Agua Fria Union High School