The Gray Middle School project received the Polished Apple Award—the top state award—on June 5 from the Council of Education Facilities Planners International (CEFPI) at its state conference in Silverdale. Gray was one of 19 projects submitted for the juried competition.
Pete Wall, director of Planning and Construction for the district, said, “This is a significant recognition for the efforts of the school’s planning committee, the designers, the contractors and all who provided input and contributed to the successful completion of this exemplary project.”
The Gray architectural exhibit at the CEFPI state conference read, “The new Gray Middle School site and program are united within a sequence of layers—civic, school and environment—that bring students, teachers and the community together to reinforce a shared identity and celebrate student achievement.
At the facility’s heart, a two-story gallery provides a dynamic forum for gathering that encourages communication and collaboration. From the gallery, views into the gym, library, science labs and shared activity areas make learning visible, reinforcing connections and a sense of the entire school working toward a common goal. Alternating views along the gallery open to landscaped rain gardens, outdoor learning settings and distant views of Mt. Rainier. Environmental connections and green building features link students with the natural world and resource conservation, engaging them in the cultivation of tomorrow’s sustainable communities. The school teaches through design by expressing sustainable strategies in a way that encourages students, teachers and staff to become knowledgeable stewards of the environment.”
The project team included Mahlum, architects; Coughlin Porter Lundeen, civil engineer and structural engineer; Cascade Design Collaborative, landscape architect; Hargis Engineers, mechanical engineer; Coffman Engineers, electrical engineers; SSA Acoustics, other firm; and Porter Brothers, construction firm.
Contact Pete Wall, Planning and Construction, at 253.571.3350 for more information.