Small learning communities and a STEM focus support exploration, choice, and greater independence that are necessary for the lifetime growth and success of these 650 middle school students.
Delivered success for Tacoma Public Schools: Efficiencies created by the design and construction team early in planning of one of the district’s first GC/CM schools resulted in the school’s completion six months early.
Optimized shear wall layouts to create a custom, flexible, and cost-effective seismic design and maximize the existing building capacity for 21st century learning. The revitalized school environment, supported by flexible technology and seating in classrooms that allow teachers and students to explore multiple pedagogical styles, has already proven successful through improved test scores.
Eliminated the inefficient 1970s-era gymnasium and classroom buildings to construct a modern gymnasium with a regulation-size basketball court. This gymnasium addition is connected to the historic structure with a low, one-story box containing locker rooms, offices, and concessions. It also features a dedicated, separate entry for after-hours activities and opens onto the student courtyard, an area for socialization as well as access to the sports fields.
Built a regulation track and field, despite the challenges associated with the tight site program and the substantial variance in grade. The adjacent plaza offers opportunities for students to socialize and observe activities on the field.
Enhanced access to this neighborhood’s restored icon. Created more than 20 custom graded ramps on the site, improved pedestrian access throughout the entire neighborhood, and coordinated separate parent and bus drop-off zones. Explored design alternatives with the City of Tacoma to accommodate changing requirements, resulting in significant signal and frontage improvements that revitalize connections to the neighborhood.
Contributed to the school’s sustainability goals by incorporating multiple rain gardens into the site and rainwater collection for irrigation of the community garden. Existing elements like the triple-height archways and ornamental molding were repurposed into the renovated structure. The original gym wood flooring was reused for acoustic panels, benches, and wall hangings.
Placed a roof over the existing light courts, which enhances daylighting and transparency from one end of the school to the other. Created multi-story and multi-purpose DaVinci labs to enrich learning opportunities with STEM, robotics, and video recording available in one section, and cooking demonstrations, drama, checkered floor for the chess club, and a large-scale plotter in the other.
Skanska provided this drone tour of the project mid-way through construction.
