Architects hear feedback from school staff on middle school's design

Architects of a third middle school completed a series of meetings Saturday with Clovis Municipal Schools staff and said they plan to incorporate ideas from the sessions into the final design, expected to be completed in July.

FBT Architects of Albuquerque has met with numerous groups of teachers, principals, maintenance staff and administrators to get their input for everything in the school, from the hardware on doors to where computers should be placed in a classroom.

CMS board vice president Terry Martin said he was excited about the amount of input being gathered.

“They’re doing a thorough job of listening and it’s great,” Martin said. “I can’t wait for when we get to the point where we can invite the public. As a board member, I don’t like surprises. When we can invite the public and show them how we’re designing the school, that’s openness.”

The district plans to build a third middle school to accommodate growth in the Clovis area, spurred by expansion at Cannon Air Force Base.

Originally, the third middle school was going to be built in two phases. The first phase would have core areas to accommodate 900 students and classroom space for 450.

Architect Sanjay Engineer with FBT informed teachers Saturday the classroom space will be built to handle 650 because enrollment projections have since surpassed the original projections of 450 students.

Engineer and his team manipulated a 3D model of the school, going from room-to-room asking teachers specifics for each. Details included asking specifics such as where a sink would be placed in a lab or where white boards should be placed in a classroom.

Project Manager Jeremy Trumble said the design includes as much natural light as possible and spaces for flexible use.

The groups Saturday also gave their input on colors for carpets and walls.

On Friday, Engineer and his team met with maintenance personnel of all trades and technology staff for specifics they need to maintain and wire the building.

“We want to get a building that meets the needs of the community,” Director of Operations Gene Beiker said.

Engineer said the meetings went well and served as the final stage of design. The next phase is construction documents that will allow the district to seek bids on the project.

He said construction documents will be ready in July and construction could begin by early September.

The 131,000 square foot school would be under construction for 21 months, Engineer said, and should be completed about March 2013.

Yucca Middle School Principal Mitzi Estes said she’s been involved in the design process from the beginning.

“It’s phenomenal to see the whole plan come together,” Estes said. “It’s great that they’re talking to everyone because they’re the ones that are there everyday. This is a once in a lifetime experience.”

Yucca Band teacher Keith Sacane and other band teachers gave input on band halls.

“Band directors know how a band hall should be, choir teachers know how a choir room should be,” he said. “We can make sure it’s done right.”