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Architect proposes new layout for MHS
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By CHUCK CLEMENT, Staff Reporter
| 10/23/2009 |
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Architects and local residents working on the proposed renovations to the Madison High School building reviewed plans on Thursday night concerning what areas would change and how the school would evolve from start to finish.
The focus of the meeting that involved about a dozen school administrators, educators and others centered on a floor plan of the current high school and middle school buildings. Certain sections of the floor plan were distinguished by different colors that indicated where changes are proposed in the building.
Jeff Nelson, president of Baldridge & Nelson Architects and Engineers, said the current school building offers almost all of the space needed to update the classrooms, laboratories and other learning areas, but changes were available that would offer greater efficiency.
"We've got to come up with a way to better utilize what we have," Nelson said.
Principal Sharon Knowlton had recommended during the previous meeting that the high school offices should move to where the southern part of the high school library currently stands in front of the building's entrance. Knowlton also proposed combining the high school and middle school libraries in an area on the south side of building that currently includes the high school arts program.
Nelson said the combined library could provide a "wise use of space" and a new facility could provide additional media assets related to information technology, audio/video suites and recording rooms.
The northwestern section of the building could provide a new home for the arts department, auto mechanics and other technical courses, but the band and chorus programs would need to move from their current space.
To find new space for band and chorus students, Nelson suggested that the district convert the present gym in the middle of the high school building into chorus and band practice rooms, offices and storage. The gym would also provide some space for expanding the rear of the high school auditorium. The auditorium has a stage that is too shallow and it has inadequate storage for equipment.
Nelson said that turning the old gym into band and chorus areas left the building with the lone middle school gymnasium on the northeast side of the building. Knowing that voters in the school district have turned down bond issues to construct new school gyms, Nelson still advised that the district construct a new gym facility on the north side of the building.
Jacob Bunde, a staff member with the Sioux Falls architectural firm, had outlined a large block on the drawing, colored orange, where a new gym could stand. However, Nelson said the drawing dimensions were not to scale and did not indicate a specific location for a new gym.
Nelson told the group that political difficulties could arise from proposing a new gym and emphasizing its construction early in the renovation process. But the advantages to adding the facility would include providing space to move classes into while renovations were underway in other parts of the high school building.
"If the school takes care of building a gym, lockers and other areas, then a third of the building would open up for renovations," Nelson said.
Nelson also explained that renovating the old gym space would allow workers to start early reconstruction of the high school science classrooms and labs. The architects and building renovation committee have discussed expanding two current science labs and creating more science curriculum space to provide a total of four classrooms.
In addition, Nelson said he wanted to review the high school's needs for its special education program to determine what improvements are appropriate.
At the close of the meeting, Nelson said he and his personnel would work on providing the dollar amounts needed to pay for renovations in different areas of the building. He planned to have the financial costs available for the fourth meeting of the group. However, Nelson said they would probably need to add one or two additional meetings to the four-meeting schedule currently set for studying the renovation project.
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©Madison Daily Leader 2009
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