Forest View Library

In response to projected growth in the south end of the Everett School District, Everett Public Schools asked DYKEMAN to provide programming and design services for a new K-5 elementary school at the north end of their existing Gateway Middle School site. The design provided the District with a new two-story, 62,500 square foot facility that houses 25 classrooms grouped around common break-out spaces, library, gymnasium, administration, cafeteria/kitchen and playfields. The existing site presented a limited buildable area due to wetlands, substantial grade changes, and an existing Type I stream. Upon initial exploration of the site, the designers realized the stream presented the most significant natural feature-an edge to a dense second growth stand of fir and hemlock trees. The main circulation corridors within the building were oriented parallel to that edge. Three prototypical classroom pods then "plug" into the meandering corridor,
each level consisting of four classrooms surrounding a common "break-out" space. The circulation core was further emphasized with a clerestory at the upper level providing a source of daylight for the interior of the building, allowing natural light from two sides of each classroom. A two-story solution was proposed to accommodate the grade change and allow a view of the forest for each of the classrooms. Wood poles and glu-lam beams were used in the main circulation space to further connect the interior with the exterior. The exterior brick color was chosen as a mixture of four local clay colors. Changing educational delivery can easily be accommodated with operable partitions allowing for team teaching, flexible class sizes and multi-use spaces sized as classrooms, but allowing for specialty use. The break-out spaces are common spaces that allow students to break into smaller groups for instruction or special projects. In addition, the exterior landscape design provides two outdoor classrooms allowing incorporation of the site into the curriculum. All systems (structural/mechanical/electrical) were left exposed for the opportunity for passive and active teaching potential. The total project consisted of roughly 17.69 acres of site work, including roadways, playfields, and wetland restoration. The site construction cost was $6,399,002. The 62,500 square foot building cost was $16,677,761. The total project construction cost was $23,076,763.