Marysville Getchell High School

Architecture Firm:
DLR Group
Completion Date:
September 2010
Project Format (not yet built / built):
Not yet built
Project Size (sf / site acreage):
196,000 SF
Project Location:
Marysville, Washington
Site PlanSLC Floor Plan Levels 1 and 2SLC Floor Plan Level 3Commons/Gymnasium Floor Plan Level 1Commons/Gymnasium Floor Plan Level 2SLC SectionSite Section and view to forest interiorCommons Interior and SectionSite Connections DiagramView of SLCs in site context
Interior Designer:
DLR Group
General Contractor:
Absher Construction
Landscape Designer:
Cascade Design Collaborative
Lighting Consultant:
Coffman Engineers
Structural Engineer:
DLR Group
Mechanical Engineer:
DLR Group
Electrical Engineer:
Coffman Engineers
Commissioning Agent:
Welsh Commissioning Group, Inc
Civil Engineer:
SCE, Inc
Owner:
Marysville School District
Sustainable Sites:
The Marysville Getchell High School site is characterized by second-growth forest, steep grade changes from east to west, extraordinary views of Elliot Bay, and neighboring wetlands. With surrounding old growth stands giving way to rapid residential development, the client and project team focused on preserving the site’s natural integrity by creating a school that promotes stewardship of its surroundings. Preserving wetlands, old growth trees and forest understory was paramount to the siting of the school. Befitting its small learning community (SLC) educational model, composing the school as a campus of distinct buildings and reducing the building footprint by developing three-story structures minimizes site impact while maximizing landscape preservation. Connected by boardwalks, the buildings nestle into the trees and sloping topography, while their orientation maximizes daylighting. Outdoor spaces, including outdoor amphitheater, decks, and viewing platforms, provide endless learning opportunities where students, staff and visitors engage in social, professional, and educational interactions.
Toward Zero Energy:
In addition to embracing the preservation of the natural site and maximizing natural daylighting with careful building orientation and high efficiency glass, this project integrates other significant energy reduction and efficiencies systems. Rather than using a mechanical cooling system, operable widows and the forest canopy will serve to cool buildings. Occupancy sensors and dimmable lights are installed in classrooms and offices. All air handling units are set to economizer cycles, while hot water tanks are minimized. Current plans include high-efficiency HVAC system, beating local energy code requirements by at least 20%.
Local and Sustainable Materials:
As with every school project, the design team focused intently on durability and ease of maintenance, choosing roofing and carpeting products with significant 20-30 year warranties. Polished concrete flooring was employed in high traffic areas and ceiling materials were minimized through design choices to expose ducts and ceiling structure. The insulated window units are regionally fabricated. Local materials and manufacturers are used when possible. Careful to preserve as many forest trees and understory as possible, the root-balls of the few trees logged were given to a county program and used to build up fish habitats in local rivers. The use of native, local, drought tolerant species in the landscape eliminates the need to provide irrigation. Much of the remaining wood and brush was chipped to use on-site to mulch paths and plants. In addition to the full materials recycling program on campus, the school intends to reduce its use of printed materials. To this end, the student learning center will provide a host of digital resources.
Sustainable Water:
Storm water runoff is significantly reduced by thoughtful design elements and the use of pervious materials. Wood mulch and crushed stone paths wind through campus and follow the natural contours of the landscape. Wooden ramps span steep grade changes and boggy areas, their pin foundations mitigating site disturbance. Water permeable grid paving products are used in other hardscape elements, while parking lot sizes are reduced to minimize paving and encourage the use of public transportation and ride sharing. In addition to the inclusion of rain gardens in the parking lots, two school campus buildings return their roof water run-off to the surrounding wetlands rather than the storm water systems. The building itself features dual-flush toilets in staff restrooms.
IEQ and Comfort:
The design creates an interior experience that connects students, staff, and visitors to each other, and also to the verdant, natural surroundings. Each school building is designed without a corridor; learning areas are planned instead around commons and living room spaces. Unimpeded by walls, light penetrates the interior through many large windows, while views of the outside from within are equally uninterrupted. Sunshades minimize glare through operable windows. In classrooms, offices, and labs, dimmable lights and task lighting allow users to adjust light intensity. The use of low-emitting materials maintains healthy air quality, while carbon dioxide sensors in classrooms provide staff a reliable means of gauging room stuffiness. The buildings each satisfy WSSP acoustical requirements, using acoustic gypsum board ceilings and walls to deftly muffle the ever-present ambient sound expected from an inspired, vibrant high school.
Collective Wisdom and Feedback:
The design team held an eco-charrette, including school staff, school board members, various community representatives, and local public utility district representatives, to focus on setting sustainability goals. Throughout the design process, the public utility district provided the project team with review and feedback of systems, offering incentives to meeting energy goals. Computers monitor the energy usages. Power, heat and temperature usage data are automatically recorded and easily reviewed by maintenance personnel. Throughout the property, artfully crafted way-finding and buffer signage will be linked with site-relevant information focused on environmental stewardship and local history.
Social Equity:
The District’s guiding principle of COMMUNITY became the center of the project from its inception. The purpose of the small learning community model is to reach and retain every student. Specific academies were created to relate to Marysville Getchell's four planned academies: Global Connections, International School of Communication, Bio-Medical Academy, and School for the Entrepreneur. The school design creates community at various scales: the SLC as community; all SLCs interconnected forming a campus community; the school as part of the greater Marysville community through shared-use spaces and inviting architecture; and the school as part of a global society through the conscious cultivation of its young citizens and through technology and sustainable practices.
Regional/Community Design:
COMMUNITY is one of five guiding principles adopted by the Marysville School District and, accordingly, Marysville Getchell High School is designed to function as a community building in the midst of a residential neighborhood. The athletics fields and gymnasium are shared with the nearby community center. The property is unrestricted to neighbors and visitors who wish to visit the wetlands and forest. School buildings are available for community gatherings on weekends and after hours. Living rooms spaces inside the school buildings encourage student and community interaction. Included in the design are parent-volunteer areas, and also presentation spaces intended to be used by community leadership and local businesses invited to give student presentations. School and community partnerships promote real-life learning experiences. Students are connected to the community through internships, job shadowing, and community projects. The building arrangement creates outdoor in-between spaces where the school functions as the community at large.