Completed in December 2020, Glacier Middle School in Buckley, Washington opened in the shadow of Mount Rainier along River Road. McGranahan Architects designed the only middle school for the White River School District, modernizing three existing buildings into one structure.
McGranahan Architects designed the 145,000 square foot steel-framed building to be conceptually split into two segments, renovation and new construction. In the renovation segment, the Arts/Music rooms were renovated on the interior and the gymnasium was modernized to reorganize the spaces to age-appropriate facilities. These two buildings were then wrapped in a semi-transparent screen so they appear as a part of a singular building.
The educational model for Glacier Middle School centers around Professional Learning Communities (PLCs), which influenced the design of the project. In this design the similar subject-based classrooms are arranged near each other to share supporting resources. These relationships are expressed through interruptions and subtle setbacks along the exterior façade.
Additionally, this project has glazed monitors on the south facing roof slope that allow natural daylight into the building while simultaneously diffusing the direct sunlight to minimize glare and prevent overheating. Colors are also used throughout the project in specific locations to further define the organizational approach to the building. The colors identify social spaces within the school and marks transitions between subject-based areas.
Custom brick blends are increasingly popular with new construction projects because it provides a unique color aesthetic and allows mason contractors install bricks without having to make the color blend on the fly. While typically we see blends of a dark color to contrast with a lighter color, the Glacier Middle School project was completed with a blend of three dark colors of Mutual Materials brick (Coal Creek, Mauna Loa, and Ebony).
Neely Construction was the general contractor, spearheading the project and the mason contractor was The Henson Company.
If you are interested in learning how Mutual Materials brick and its wide variety of color options can meet your project’s needs from both a structural and visual standpoint, call us today at 1-888-688-8250 to speak with an architectural sales representative.
Citations:
- Glacier Middle School
- City of Buckley, Washington
- White River School District
- Mutual Materials
- Mutual Materials – Face Brick
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