Machias Construction Progress

With just over 5 months to go before school starts in the new building, the Machias Elementary School construction is progressing rapidly. The structural steel and glu-lam beam frames have been erected, concrete slabs for the 1st and 2nd floors have been poured and the interior wall framing is being installed, followed by sheetrock. Rough-in of electrical, mechanical, plumbing and fire sprinkler piping is keeping pace with the rest of the construction.

Here are some photos:

Curved glu-lam columns from the old school building's Gym roof have been placed vertically as columns in the dramatic new design. This view is from the 2nd floor looking over what will be the library space, at the heart of the new school. the roof deck is in place, but the exterior wall sheathing has has not been installed yet.

A view from the exterior "porch", which has a deep overhang, looking toward the library structure. Administration offices are to the left.

This will be a covered outdoor area at a secondary entry point to the school near the Commons, looking toward the IDEA Lab (Interdisciplinary Educational Activities Lab), with a corridor and stair to the 2nd floor to the right.

With the exterior wall framing in place, views through the window openings can now be seen. The classroom wings are oriented toward the wooded areas of the site, with corner windows providing views of the greenery and dappled sunlight.

Another 2nd floor view shows the upper corridor between of the classroom wings and the Gym/Commons area. Windows and skylights will illuminate this space with daylight. The opening at the left is for a stair to the 1st floor.

Steps to access the front of the stage are hewn from the large salvaged glu-lam beams, a cost-effective reuse of existing material and a historical reference to the old school building. Not shown to the left of this photo is the ramp which provides another way to access the stage.

Looking at the building from the edge of the playfields provides a sense of scale. The covered play area is in the foreground on the right, at the end of the new Gym. In the background the structure of curved glu-lam beams is visible. The one-story Administration wing is at the far left.

Site Preparation Work is Underway

Farewell to the old school buildings! The site preparation work is well underway at the Riverview and Machias sites.

The projects are moving forward on an accelerated schedule. The work is divided into 3 parts: Site Preparation, Steel Fabrication and then the Building Projects. This allows the preliminary work to be done while the County is reviewing the building permit submittals, saving time on the overall schedule.

Both projects are proceeding on schedule, with Construct Co. performing the site preparation work at Machias and Northwest Construction at Riverview.

The existing school buildings have been cleaned out and demolished, making way for the installation of utilities, grading and preparation of the building pad for the new buildings. The structural steel will bid in September, so that fabrication can begin early. The main Building Project contracts will bid and Contractors will be chosen before the end of this year, to be ready to start work in January.

Shown above is the new on-site water pipe being installed at Machias. Both sites require upgraded water service for building plumbing, fire sprinklers and fire hydrants.

Here's what the Riverview site looks like. To save cost and environmental impact, as many materials as possible are being reused or recycled. At both sites, contractors are creating separate piles containing:

- steel for recycling

- structural brick, concrete and asphalt to be crushed for reuse as a stable sub-base under paved areas

- wood glulam beams for reuse in the new buildings

Also, before the existing buildings were demolished, memorial elements and student art were removed and stored for future installation in the new buildings.

Snohomish County Tribune Article

The Snohomish County Tribune features an article highlighting the energy-saving green designs for Machias and Riverview Elementary Schools, by Michael Whitney. Check it out HERE.

We have updated the previously posted renderings to incoporate more subtle revisions suggested by the Design Committee, including accent colors. Click on the image below to see all of the current renderings for each school.

Machias Elementary - click the image

Riverview Elementary - click the image

Riverview Elementary Design Update

Click on this image to see a PDF of new renderings of the Riverview Elementary design!

NAC Architecture incorporated suggestions from the Design Committee to create a warm, welcoming building design. The interior spaces are connected to the exterior with natural materials, transparency and light.

Please be sure to come to the Community Open House on Tuesday 5/26, 6:30 pm at Riverview Elementary. You will get a chance to review drawings, talk to the architects and other team members and learn more about the plans for the new school.

At the meeting yesterday, Design Committee members reviewed several options to make decisions on materials and colors. Samples were carefully reviewed in the daylight to make the best judgements.

Machias Design Update

Click on this image to see a PDF of the latest design renderings for Machias Elementary School!

The updated Machias design was reviewed with the Design Committee on May 5th. It will be a great school with exciting spaces, lots of natural light and energy-saving features.

We're working hard on the design for Riverview Elementary, which we are scheduled to show the Design Committee on May 20th.

Riverview In-Class Lesson on Geothermal Heat Exchange

On May 28th, Matt and Philip from NAC Architecture presented to a combined class of Miss Edgbert's and Mrs. Panko's 4th and 5th graders. The kids have been learning about alternative energy sources and this was a chance to discuss the major energy strategy for the new school: geothermal heat exchange.

It's not a simple system, so there was a lot to talk about. The students were very attentive, gave input and asked great questions. We also described other aspects of the new school and had a lively discussion. Thanks for letting us be a part of your classes!

Geothermal heat exchange is a very efficient way to heat and cool a building. It leverages the constant temperature underground (about 55 deg. F) and steps that temperature up or down as required, using compression and expansion. The heat exchange occurs via an array of pipes which loop 300' underground. This is a proven strategy that is increasingly being used for energy savings at schools throughout our state.