When steel erectors and masons seem to be in a race, is one of my favorite times of school construction. A race to winter conditions.
For 25 years I have been designing buildings, and have been blessed that half of my career has been working with various Minnesota ISD’s to design, build, improve and maintain their public K-12 facilities. I love every part of working on school projects, but construction and move-in just makes me smile. These Anoka-Hennepin projects are all designed by Mike Kraft Architects (MKA). I have worked with and for Mike since 1993 in various forms, and for the last 5 years, partnering our two single-person firms to take on many dozens of projects, including these three larger additions.
Anoka HS was built in 1970, twenty one years later they did a single addition, but nothing major since then. It was (exterior still is) an ugly, energy inefficient building constructed primarily of precast concrete double-tee wall panels bolted to a superstructure of cast in place concrete column and waffle-slab floors and roofs.
Regular updates to the MEP systems and constant upgrades to the technology and interior spaces help support the always changing curriculum, building codes and staff and student needs. BUT it is still a 1970’s uninviting building that looks more like a prison than a school. UNTIL SCHOOL STARTS FALL OF 2019!
I am excited to share more photos of the construction progress and finished building, but more excited to share the glowing faces of students, teachers, staff, administrators, school boards and parents when they can walk into a safe, modern school intentionally designed to serve the next 50 years of graduates.
Blaine and Coon Rapids high school additions, also designed by MKA/LSF Design are also under construction, but only phase one for each of those, which includes similar secure main entries, offices, teaching and support spaces.
Footings at the Coon Rapids HS new Main entry. Trust me when I say this will be dramatic.
Blaine HS cafeteria bumps out and up from it very low ceiling into a well lit volume that opens onto an outdoor dining patio.
