Timberline Middle School

Narratives

Architect Narrative

The Educational Facilities Program focus is to create a meaningful educational environment. This program places curriculum at its core and places emphasis on enhancing the teaching of all subjects effectively and collaboratively. Curriculum flexibility, either theme based, project based, technology based, hands-on based, or experimentally based must be emphasized in the design. Central to the design is the ability for team instruction, multi-age learning, through educational neighborhoods and houses. This school within a school concept will help to divide the 1,350 student population into smaller, more intimate learning families.

The floor plan for the new middle school is divided into smaller learning environments or “houses”. Within each academic house there are two collaborative centers surrounded by classrooms. The collaboration centers help encourage teaming for teachers and students. By clustering the classrooms into small groups interdisciplinary subjects may be taught through a collaborative approach.

The arrangement of teaching spaces will allow the teachers to have a greater influence in the learning process. The floor plan provides expanded opportunities for learning in a wide variety of settings. It helps students overcome weaknesses, develop strengths and gain new skills. Located in each house is a centralized teacher preparation space. Teachers need time and space for planning and critical decision making.

The floor plan is divided by a main central corridor. The central corridor or Main Street, divides the plan into academic clusters on one side and multi-use/multi-activity spaces on the other side. The academic houses and ancillary spaces can be locked off during events, leaving only the central student commons open, which provides for a lobby for the auditorium and the gymnasium. These spaces are separated purposely to allow for simultaneous functions without overcrowding one central portion of the school.

A feeling of openness and visual interaction between spaces is introduced at the entry. As you enter the school, there is an immediate visual connection to the media center (through upper windows and room over hangs) even though it is on the second floor. The large two story entry provides a grand entry and gives one the notion that they are invited in to this very welcoming environment.

The exterior materials are concrete masonry, corrugated metal (colored), and glass. A combination of these materials, and various textures and building masses, provide a campus solution to what would otherwise be one large building. The new junior high site is at the base of the 11,000 to 13,000 foot high Wasatch Mountains. The mountain skyline profile is reflected in the building’s profile.

The 35 acre site is adjacent to a public park and is separated by a stream. Jogging trails will be developed in the project on both sides of the stream. The park will be connected to the school with foot bridges. The building appears to be sitting in the middle of the park. Separate bus drop-off, parent drop-off and a grand entry mall are developed off the main street at the front of the facility.

Educator Narrative

A new 7th — 9th school is being built in our school district. It will be the 9th such school in our district. Our 7th — 9th schools are called junior high schools. The design of this school is extremely functional for the teaching and learning of middle school teachers and students. It is built to facilitate teaching and collaboration in 7th, 8th and 9th grade houses. The houses are flexible enough to facilitate cross grading. The collaborative areas provide instant access to technology. These areas promote a functional middle school philosophy but allow educational philosophies to evolve. Dedicated faculty planning rooms provide teacher collaboration and support.

A large open cafeteria and minimal hallways provide for a safe school environment. The auditorium can be entered from the ground floor as well as the second floor to provide ease of access. The auditorium is constructed to facilitate large group or team activities. The arts, music and drama are easily accessible to the auditorium. The Applied Technology, Business and Consumer Science areas are also built in collaborative spaces.

The building sits adjacent to a creek. Across the creek is a city park. There is a footbridge being built to join the school and the park. This facility will be a great partnership with the school and community.

Finally, form does serve function. In a recent board meeting the school board, acting on a request by a school parent, teacher and student committee approved calling this school a “Middle School” instead of a junior high school. This building will change the way we conduct the process of education to our 7th, 8th and 9th grade students in our school district.