The 39-acre Redmond High School site is organized to link “the brain and the brawn” together through the organization of learning areas and athletic facilities.
The architectural structure utilizes two different grids of organization. An orthogonal grid characterizes the placement of the fundamental school areas. A second site organizational axis, on a 10 degree inflection, organizes two areas containing the library and entry buildings to the athletic facilities.
Most of Redmond High School’s existing facilities will be demolished and replaced with a 203,204-square-foot, two-story building. The exterior of the building will consist of brick with aluminum windows and storefront, cement plaster, CMU, standing seam metal roof, and single-ply roof. Parking will accommodate 560 cars.
The upgraded school will house 1,500 students, including 63 teaching spaces consisting of shared activity spaces, labs, meeting rooms and classrooms. New facilities include a gymnasium, performing arts facility, library, high-tech skills center, great hall/cafeteria, career/counseling center, and administration offices. The administration building has been intentionally positioned as a “gatekeeper” for students and visitors of the school.
Classrooms and labs are arranged in learning clusters, each providing activity areas for collaborative learning and demonstrations. Athletic facilities include baseball and softball fields, a soccer/practice field, six tennis courts and the existing stadium with track and field events, as well as a football/soccer field.
Constructing around the existing facility and consolidating the athletic facilities locates the new building away from the main street access. This placement creates a passive and active side to the site, in contrast to the existing facility where activities occur on all sides. A monitoring and safety system is established along the passive side, as well as reducing activity along the sides of the school shared by neighbors.
The heart of the school is the courtyard. It encourages interaction, academic and athletic excellence through its design. The courtyard also promotes student-teacher interaction through shared activity spaces and informal meeting zones.
Sustainable design is incorporated into the new school, using ground – source heating and cooling, natural ventilation combined with HVAC systems via operable windows, and windows maximizing daylight. Stormwater management systems are also used to protect nearby streams and watersheds.
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