An important piece of the school’s sustainability vision was salvaging as much as possible. This included giving new life to the timber found in the old school. Existing pieces were meticulously catalogued by length, width, depth, and radius to create an inventory of salvaged heavy timber members.
Existing glulam beams were inspected extensively to verify they were suitable for reuse prior to being salvaged and stored.
Many salvaged members were used as structural beams and columns, some were used for sunshade girts spanning between curving columns, and still others were used for architectural feature benches and learning structures. Perhaps most notably, at the school’s entrance, beams salvaged from the original school now appear as arching columns, generating a curvilinear form reminiscent of a Gothic-arch barn.
Honoring the school’s location in Snohomish, the shape of the new school is inspired by the form of a salmon. The theme is best on display at the school’s core, where the fish’s radial skeleton flies above students’ heads, composed of exposed heavy timber beams and curving columns. Light from skylights and timber sunshades dances across the installation like sun on the ocean floor.
Arranging the complex salmon skeleton proved the project’s biggest structural challenge, and largest reward. A radial grid of timber pieces, each member in the skeleton had a unique dimension. In some locations, three stories of floor and roof beams attached to large curving glulam columns. Custom, high-load timber connections were designed for each of the beam-to-column connections, terminating at unique angles. Especially careful coordination was required at the locations where the connections of curving members would be exposed to view.
Connection to the environment and outdoor learning spaces are important aspects of Machias. As such, a section of dense woodlands was preserved and a trail was added for class nature walks. Closer to the building, classroom-adjacent gardens serve as outdoor learning spaces. A green roof and six rain gardens infiltrate 100% of all stormwater.
Facilitating teaching moments, the building features a touch screen at the entrance which allows students and visitors to check the building’s energy performance throughout the day. Additionally, a cut into a portion of an interior wall shows construction elements otherwise behind-the-scenes.
Photography © Benjamin Benschneider All Rights Reserved