HMK was pleased to help make this dream become a reality for their community. Rapidly expanding housing in the area fueled the demand to bring this project to fruition and design was started in the summer of 2017.
Meadow Ridge now stands as a 93,000 square foot school with 24 classrooms, which can serve 600 students. Building this two-story wood frame structure was not as straight forward as the design team hoped. With extensive wetland and permitting issues presenting challenges early on, and harsh weather threatening to derail the project in vulnerable phases, HMK was proud to provide solutions for navigating complex land use issues. We accomplished this by monitoring and scheduling the project to keep the work progressing.
This welcoming building invites you in through a light drenched front entry serving as a gateway to the school. Large group areas include a student focused library media center, two gyms to accommodate their large student population, a music room/performance stage, a kitchen, and an outward focused commons area featuring a warm wood acoustic ceiling and a wall of glass roll up doors for easy access to the outdoors. Just outside the commons is an outdoor play area nestled in a enclosed courtyard which includes spaces for covered play as well as an adjacent ball field, walking track, and access to a natural wetland for educational use.
The school layout balances safety and security with public use and access through clear organization and zoning using keyless access controls. The large group areas noted above can be accessed by the community outside of school hours without allowing access the main office or classroom areas.
The two-story classroom wing features 24 state of the art classrooms laid out as learning pods with a small group learning space in the hall central to each pod. In addition to the main classrooms Meadow Ridge boasts an arts and science lab designed as a developmentally appropriate CTE environment to support student’s progression along the district’s K-12 Pathway. To meet this trajectory, the early learning CTE lab needed to flexibly serve both the arts and the sciences which was no easy feat. Attention to details was critical here and through the use of ample storage, a dedicated kiln room, wide sinks, tiered seating with butcher block tables, and retractable electricity, the overall result has allowed for an impressively varied use of the space.
To support the district’s special programs population, a four room special programs cluster was integrated in the classroom wing. This cluster features a Sensory Room with an observation office and an attached typical classroom to encourage comfort in a general education setting. Each of these rooms have color change lighting and Voice Lift technology to help with focus, comfort, and productivity. To round out the cluster are an ADA/supportive restroom with shower and an assisted changing room with laundry.
