The metamorphosis is nearly complete on the site of the old Mt. Tahoma High School at 6229 S. Tyler St. A stellar new middle school building has emerged on the 15-acre upper site to house 750 sixth, seventh and eighth graders.
Construction had not even started when the $30 million new school began to win awards. The Council of Educational Facilities Planners International awarded Mahlum Architects a 2006 Design Concept Award for the design of the new Gray Middle School.
Abatement and demolition of the old high school on the upper level began in June 2007, and construction of the middle school building started in July 2007 and is on track to be completed in December 2008. The Boys & Girls Clubs will use the old pool building and gymnasium on the lower level.
The looming question is: When will the district make the move from the old Gray building next to Edison Elementary School to the new school? The school board will determine that answer this fall. Gray teachers have toured the building and are anxious to transfer to their new classrooms.
A public, landscaped entry plaza at the front of the school will provide a welcome to the community. Community members will be able to access the library, gym and administration area from the entry plaza. The new Gray was designed to bring students, teachers and the community together. The two-story gallery will provide a forum for gathering that encourages communication. Views into surrounding learning spaces reinforce a shared identity and celebrate student achievement.
The new Gray has three two-story learning clusters organized by grade level with central science classrooms surrounding a shared learning area for group activities outside the classroom. The double-height commons for large gatherings has a view of Mt. Rainier, and a double-height circulation gallery has a visual connection to the shared learning areas and the rain gardens.
The school is part of the Washington Sustainable Schools Protocol volunteer project. Throughout, the sustainable building supports the school’s educational objectives with healthy environments and design features that integrate curriculum with everyday activities. Outdoor learning areas and green building features connect students with the natural world and resource conservation, engaging them in the cultivation of tomorrow’s sustainable communities.
In addition, utility meters are located in learning areas to provide educational opportunities that highlight responsible use of resources. Storm water run-off is reduced through the use of landscaped rain gardens. These areas are planted with native vegetation which treat, absorb and slow water run-off from paved surfaces and roof areas.
A ground source (geothermal) heat pump loop under the playfield provides heating and cooling to the radiant floor system in the major public spaces. The ventilation system in classrooms provides a quiet, comfortable environment. The district has used low-flow plumbing fixtures throughout the complex.
Interior environmental features include natural daylighting in all classrooms and offices. The direct/indirect lighting provides balanced daylight and reduces glare. Non-toxic, low-impact finished materials and furnishings have been used throughout the building, and many finish materials are made from recycled materials. Contractors salvaged more than 200 beams from the old Mt. Tahoma building and reused them in the new Gray.
The mechanical system used 100 percent outside air to push out airborne bacteria and pathogens for comfortable and healthy indoor air quality. There are also operable windows throughout the school. The school also has a new athletic field and track.
The new Gray replaces the Captain Robert Gray Middle School, originally an intermediate school built in 1926. In 1928, it was renamed Robert Gray Junior High. At that time, it was the policy to name the first intermediate schools after important figures in Northwest history. Robert Gray was the American naval officer and explorer, who was the first to sail a ship into the Columbia River and Grays Harbor in 1792, according to the “For the Record: a history of the Tacoma Public Schools, 1869–1984.”