Windows with glazing that protects from the heat of the sun. Bullet-resistant glass.
Sloping roofs. Mechanical systems under a roof instead of on top of it.
Walking paths and traffic studies.
Those were among the highlights of a presentation on a new elementary school design unveiled Monday night at the USD 257 Board of Education meeting.
The board approved the design proposal by SJCF Architects, the Wichita firm guiding the district through a $35 million school bond project that will build a new elementary school, a new science and technology building at the high school and replace heating, ventilation and cooling systems at the middle school.
The presentation included a video ?fly through? of the design concept, as well as architectural renderings to show what the school will likely look like.
An update also was provided for the science and technology building, with changes based on community feedback from an earlier presentation. Mostly, those changes included more brick and less glass around the cafeteria. Concerns had been raised about safety and energy efficiency of floor-to-ceiling windows so the architects added more brick to the bottom, metal at the top and vertical brick sections between windows.
Above, modifications to a new science and technology building at the Iola High School campus included scaling back the floor-to-ceiling windows, but keeping large windows to allow natural light and an outdoor seating area near the cafeteria. REGISTER/VICKIE MOSS
The elementary school features a long central corridor, with a gymnasium, cafeteria and administrative offices to the west. Long rectangular pods branch off to the north, with one for kindergarten and first grade students, another for second- and third-graders and a third for fourth- and fifth-graders. Art, music and special education classrooms run along the south side of the main corridor, with a large library and media center in the center of that side of the building.
Areas designated for preschool and special education are also designed to serve as storm shelters.
The new elementary school is projected to open in the fall of 2021. The only hitch depends on efforts to clean up the soil, which was the site of an ironworks foundry and zinc smelting company about 100 years ago. SJCF Vice President Darin Augustine and architect Allison Le have been working with the Environmental Protection Agency, the Kansas Department of Health and Environment and Terracon on the soil remediation project, which seems to be on track. They said they would know more about its progress after a meeting later this week, but anticipated some work ? like demolition of existing buildings on the site ? could start in February.
This architectural rendering shows what the new elementary school will look like from the south.
SEVERAL features of the new elementary school met the audience?s approval, which included a handful of those on a committee that saw the project from conception to voter approval in April.
In particular, the sloped roof and mechanical systems pleased Ray Maloney. He supported plans to consolidate the district?s three elementary schools into one, in large part because of promises of increased energy efficiency that would result in long-term cost savings.
The sloping roof would allow water to run off and extend the life of the roof. The mechanical systems, like air conditioning chillers and boilers for the heating system, would be contained in the building. That means the air conditioning system would not sit on top of the roof, so it would not be subjected to the elements and storm damage.
