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Home My WebLink About2024-02-14-SBC-min (Exterior and Interior Focus Group) MEETING NOTES d �Illv Meeting Date: February 14, 2024 Project Name: Lexington High School Project Number: Click or tap here to enter text. Subject: Exterior and Interior Focus Group Meeting Attendees: Present Name Affiliation Present Name Affiliation Kathleen Lenihan SBC Chair&SC Member J Timothy Lee Design Advisory Committee .................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... ✓ SBC Vice-Chair&LPS Facilities Michael Cronin Henrietta Mei Permanent Building Committee .................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... J '..... Julie Hackett Superintendent Todd Rhodes Sustainable Lexington Vice Chair .................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... ✓ ''. Cynthia Arens ''. Sustainable Lexington Committee Chair Elizabeth Yan LHS Student .................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... ✓ ''.. Mark Connor ''.. Tree Committee Co-ChairLuke Yung LHS Student .................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... ✓ Jeff Harris Computer Science Teacher Lorraine Finnegan SMMA Project Manager .................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... J ''.... Jon Himmel ''.. Permanent Building Committee Chair ✓ Matt Rice SMMA Project Architect .................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... Chris Bouchard ''.. Project Engineer ✓ Brian Black SMMA Design Architect .................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... ✓ Racheljayson Performing Arts Teacher J Alicia Kosasih SMMAInterior Designer .................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... J Wendy Krum Permanent Building Committee J Michael Dowhan SMMA Architectural Designer .................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... ✓ AnoushKrafiau SMMA Assistant Project Manager ✓ Mike Burton Dore+Whittier .................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... Damian Baineschi ✓ Christina Dell Angelo Dore+Whittier .................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... J plan Lcvinc Appropriations Committee ✓ Rachel Rincon Dore+Whittier .................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... J vincentLe ,y EliasGrijalva Dore+Whittier ✓ Lin Jensen Meier-Tae int Massachusetts �AIVnMr.daareandW/atl iit....ierr,,cov�n Agenda Description Item 1. Introduction: Refer to attendees list. 2. Please refer to attached presentation for meeting reference. SMMA reviews their presentation: 1. Designing for the Future GIVENS • 2,395 students • Right size based on study and discussions • Plan efficiency and construction economy o Generous but not overly generous spacing • Flexibility o Interdisciplinary organization o Striving for 85%classroom utilization PDP Design Workflow • How we take all information and feed it into design o Ed plan +summary of spaces to generate initial thoughts about space adjacencies o Site analysis • Interdisciplinary planning • Agile classrooms o Walls with writing service o Presentation technology o Lightweight flexible and movable furniture o Existing classroom: 695SF, MSBA: 850SF • Science labs o Existing are too small 1069 SF o MSBA 1440 o All electric • Technology labs o Support hands on learning and enriching project based learning aspect of ed plan • Small group meeting room • Informal gathering o Some form of seating o Could be a place for clubs to meet,theatre practice, hanging out, etc • Student display o Embedding culture of LHS and showing student work throughout the school o Often double sided glass o Student agency to become interested in programs • Large Group instructure o Can support at least 2 classes o Can support guest speakers o Support co-teaching and overlap among disciplines • Library o Clean &well lit o Different types of seating can provide different ways to occupy space • Student Dining Page 2 of 9 o Connector among activity zones/wings of the school o Can be used for performing arts • Gymnasium & PE o For general wellbeing as well as athletics • Auditorium o Planning for 1000 seats with. Significant proscenium stage o In addition to black box theatre o Highly tuned for music o High level of finish and comfort o Hands-on learning spaces Questions: Rachel asked if there would be a pit. We understand that its highly desirable but we need to think abouta level of accessibility but it is something to consider. Will space be tuned for music only or will it be flexible?We have an acoustician. Main reflectors are fixed but there may be elements that can be altered to be better suited for speaking Is there a plan to have a balcony?We're not at that point of design • Are there comparable 1000 seat examples?Yes we may be able to tour them Alan: What do people do without a pit? • Pit area that's at front but not recessed out What's typical standard for new stage? • 1600 SF standard but people often chose to invest more Jeff: There is a need for acoustics-absorptive materials in classrooms as well New classrooms will have very high absorption acoustic file Rachel: Recommends there are low sensory areas throughout the school, maybe in library • We tend to design different spaces within library/media center for students with different sensory preferences Can you explain how different science classrooms could move around classrooms. • We try to plan labs as flexibly as possible so if courses change over time, lab can support the curriculum • Mobile tables • Sinks on perimeter • Vary the amount of sinks for different rooms • Consideration of adjacencies • Electrical outlets mounted in ceiling • Structural rack to hang items from Vincent: • We should look at orchestra pit as default and have it be hydraulic • The hydraulic orchestra pit can be used as a lift for storage Page 3 of 9 • A manual stage extension is also good for storage • There should be a full fly • Full wing space Rachel: Its really important to the community to have a functional auditorium Do you have an approach to the common area space?There is a trend with the big stairs? Is it used? • Students really like sitting there • Functionality for informal or formal presentation • A good way to be out in the open but also being tucked away • Very well received by students Cindy: make sure easy to clean surfaces 2. Sustainability GIVENS • LEEDv4 gold certification • Specialized energy stretch code • Solar PV generation on site • Healthy/low carbon materials • Indoor environmental quality • Resiliency/healthfulness Building Orientation • Seek to orient major mass of building from east to west • South facing elevation • We will run modeling that tell us what the gains are throughout the building • We will tune the building to respond appropriately • We will probably look at solar control devices • 8 inches of insulation on exterior walls, 10 inches in roof • High-performance windows • Calculating every thermal bridge • facades may be traditional stacked masonry or rain screen material • Embodied carbon is largely found in structure less in facade o Mass timber hits on several areas of sustainability o Lowers embodied carbon o Construction efficiency o Can be taken down for expansion/modification in the future o Biophilic element • We will seek to use all green list materials • Educational Purpose & Performance Requirements ***Some people are more sensitive to certain stimuli, start with a neutral baseline and add pops of color*** Page 4 of 9 Overall wellbeing o Light quality o Air quality o Thermal health o Noise Interior Materials o Depend on rooms and programmatic needs o Linoleum, renewable o Tile, restrooms o Concrete/terrazzo, high traffic areas o Wall tile, high traffic areas o Acoustic paneling o Paint, opportunity to create engaging environments o Blinds/shades, energy efficiency o Epoxy, science classrooms o Wood/laminate Questions: Mark Connor: Do you design interior materials to be in place for 50-75 years, and do you design for them to be easily replaced? • Some materials will have a shorter lifespan • Paint •Tiles • Yes, interior materials are meant to be replaced more frequently • Ceilings • Some materials will have a long life •Terrazzo flooring will last the life of a building Has experienced a lot of problems with linoleum? Has SMMA had success with it? • Sheet good have been successful • Linoleum won't necessarily be where we end • Concrete polish floor Andy: Appreciate seeing SITES certification listed as given. Does SITES certification include protection of mature trees, preservation of tree canopy, preservation of wetlands/waterways? • SITES certification is not a given at this point • 10 elements that are requirements in SITES certification • Every example falls under umbrella of those topics Cindy: Page 5 of 9 • Concerned about building massing. Let's not build a space that's bigger than be need. • Food service areas, be prepared to have optimal ways for students and staff to return • Reduce waste in food service areas Tina Mcbride: • Potential of using timber to reduce embodied carbon • Concern is about the embodied carbon that's currently there • Buildings as they stand are full of concrete and masonry • Should be taken into consideration when looking into potential siting • If any of it can be reused it would go a long way in reducing embodied carbon release There is opportunity to salvage materials from old building 3. Access to Outdoors • Visual connections between building and site and physical connections Outdoor Learning Environments • Benefits mental and physical health • Everyone should have access to the outdoors • Access to sun and daylight • Use building to create a sense of enclosure and safety • Use nature as a backdrop • Rooftops as outdoor classrooms/areas of respite • Materiality, space, and scale Harmonious Building and Site • Break larger elements into smaller spaces (i.e. parking) • Keep parking away from where students will congregate • Keep open space near the classroom Creating Connections to Nature • Visually and physically Balancing Outdoor Access with Security Needs • Getting students and staff to be able to engage with the site without having safety concerns Question: Mark Connor: How do you make it feel like this isn't just landscaping for the high school but the urban area it • Its currently a bit discrete, I imagine it will be a lot more prominent • Its going to be seen from a lot of different vantage points • Doesn't want it to feel like the community is on high school grounds Page 6 of 9 4. Balancing Educational and Community Site Needs Consider Separate Parking for... • Athletics • Performing arts • Teacher parking • Student parking The smaller spaces we can create the better • Compartmentalizing the building • Consolidate commonly used community spaces • Create wings • Security controls for spaces that shouldn't be accessed by community Questions: Rachel Jayson: Would it be possible to focus on two different entrance for athletics and performing arts? We haven't ruled anything out yet Jon Himmel: There's and ed plan, is there a corresponding after-school hour plan? Yes, we compile that after hour program list further down the road • It might be useful to collect that data sooner rather than later to understand use of spaces We know there is robust community education that wants to use building after-hours Do you have an input need for LABBB program? • We've met with them on a couple occasions • Need to include but also provide privacy Vincent: Will we be able to achieve smaller parking areas, will that be able to support trailors? • Yes, parking areas at the auditorium/gymnasium will need to be significantly larger than loading dock parking lot 5. Designing in the context of Lexington Natural environment& Build environment We heard about... • Creating identity • A desire for the building to have character and personality • A place people want to be • Materials need to be appealing • Incororporate natural features Campus Ecosystem Page 7 of 9 • Stormwater management • Energy efficiency • Renewables Aesthetics • Broad array of styles and periods • Rich tradition of design • Open space tends to be traditional • Open trails • Need to design if we want to design in line with traditional Lexington or do we want to design looking towards the future • Building Materials Across the district • A lot of brick • Create expression through reference • Is there a style or brand that's specific to Lexington schools? • Broad spectrum of available materials • Budgetary constraints can narrow this down • Exterior Materials • Brick is most affordable and shortest lead time • Tend to increase in cost significantly once you move away from brick • We will look at carbon footprint for materials • Welcoming entrance identity • Building scale will determine what entry looks like • Building in context • Can have multiple readings from different sides • Grafton HS • adjacent to playing fields • Integration of seating area into a changing grade • Natural flow of the landscape • Waltham HS • Create a naturalistic environment in front that one can circulate through • Signage elements describe natural elements that become an observatory • Educational piece • Protected walkway on the bottom • Carving the building to break down the mass of a 4 story building • Somerviille • Connection to community and street grid • Outward expression of the program as the fagade Questions: Rachel: Want a contemporary building but presence of history • Columbs Page 8 of 9 • Onoe big focused central point that nods at the history Cindy: Is there a graph of environmental impact and insulation value of materials Standard PV is on roof or canopies, other than fagade are there other areas of the site that could support PV What is the plan for heating?All electric,we are looking at geothermal solution • Using stable temperature of low ground for heating/cooling Lin Jensen: • Can be creative with where we put solar panels where there are existing coverings • Walkways • Bleachers 3. Close The exterior and interior focus group meeting will be held on Friday,February 14t'', 1-3 m. Sincerely, If) 111 lE °i1-WI1III III"'1"TlllllliiiR Christina Dell Angelo Project Manager Cc:Attendees, File The above is my summation of our meeting. If you have any additions and/or corrections, please contact me for incorporation into these minutes. Page 9 of 9