Planning & Design Meetings MATH-SOCIAL STUDIES BUILDING SUBCOMMITTEE MEETING #1 9/16/2009 - MinutesPalo Alto HS FACILITIES STEERING COMMITTEE MEETING
Palo Alto Unified School District
03 June 2009
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PALO ALTO HIGH SCHOOL
Palo Alto Unified School District
MATH-SOCIAL STUDIES BUILDING SUBCOMMITTEE MEETING #1
DATE: 16 September 2009, 3:15pm-5:00pm
SUBJECT: Math/Social Studies Building Conceptual Design
ATTENDEES: See attached sign-in sheet
The following are the highlights of the meeting:
1. Principal Jacquie McEvoy (JM) called the meeting to order. She asked if there
might be any more boards to display the design of the new facility. Erwin Lee (EL)
responded that they could be made, but Tom Hodges (TH) suggested waiting till
Schematic Design as this phase is forth coming and exterior appearances would
most likely change.
2. EL recapped the presentation to the School Board (9/8/09) and summarized the
Board’s comments regarding the new classroom building for Math/Social Studies.
These included the comment that the design isolates the teachers’ offices from the
students. As designed, most students would have to pass through the Resource
Room in order to access the teachers’ offices. The subcommittee agreed that this
is the existing relationship that works well.
3. TH noted that for the next Board meeting it would be necessary for the
Instructional Supervisor (Radu Toma for the Math Dept.) to present the current
layout and explain why the model works from an educational standpoint.
4. JM added that the teachers need to explain “how we got there” and describe the
purpose of the Resource Room. The model matches what’s been done in the past
and has stood the test of time.
5. EL presented a set of enlarged floor plans and interior elevations which the group
studied in detail. The ensuing discussion was as follows:
Resource Room
Radu Toma (RT) explained how the resource room functions as an informal
meeting area and is typically very lively requiring doors between it and the office
area beyond. The space is not used as a classroom where circulation through
the space might be disruptive.
RT described the room as having tables and chairs and marker boards. It should
encourage students coming to the teachers’ office area.
Chris Ades (CA) pointed out that the resource rooms are front and center in the
exterior design and feature glass walls inviting students to enter.
EL noted that the current design can be improved by opening up the office area
to the space so that it can be more easily supervised.
Palo Alto HS FACILITIES STEERING COMMITTEE MEETING
Palo Alto Unified School District
03 June 2009
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Office Area (including Staff and Work areas)
RT explained that this area provides individual offices to each teacher and two
shared offices for four teachers who don’t require a private office. A conference
area at the center is for larger group meetings with parents and students. The
Instructional Supervisor’s (IS) office should directly access the conference room.
RT noted that the reception desk at the center will not be required and the
space will be used for student make-up testing with a couple of desks and/or
tables. He liked the fact that there is a look down to below and that the space
features a large skylight.
RT asked EL to see whether or not the central area of the office area can be
opened up by relocating the conference room and possibly making the offices
smaller and/or relocating the storage room. EL responded that if the offices
could be made smaller or if the storage area could move then the central space
might open up.
RT noted that the Staff Area is a very necessary quiet zone and may require
doors between it and the Work Area.
Classrooms
EL described a typical classroom layout and how 18-feet of base cabinets plus
a full ht. 3-foot wide cabinet precludes the need for wall cabinets.
RT explained that long base cabinets (as designed) are very useful and agreed
that wall cabinets wouldn’t be necessary. This allows for the placement of the
cabinets below high windows, typically at the hallways. He would discourage
full windows as these are a source of distraction.
RT suggested placing the marker boards to adjacent walls. He noted that
marker boards at the ‘back’ of classrooms are almost never used.
EL mentioned that two 16-foot long marker boards could be positioned on the
same wall, in lieu of having marker boards on adjacent walls. RT noted that this
might be a better configuration.
RT asked why there were windows on opposite walls and CA answered that it
was to allow for cross ventilation during days when the air conditioning wasn’t
required.
RT added that the interior classrooms which have doors into the Office Area
are ideal and it should be assumed that the teacher’s station will be placed
adjacent to these doors.
6. EL described the progress in the ongoing Central Plant assessment. He noted that
the existing facility is not large enough to support the additional new buildings and
currently there are 4 options to address the issues. Option one is to replace the
equipment and keep it in the existing stand alone building. Option two is keep the
existing equipment and decentralize the AC functions for the new buildings. Option
three is to place the central plant within the new Math/Social Studies Classroom
Building. This last option appears to make the most sense as it minimizes noise by
placing the cooling tower function on the roof. It also opens up the space adjacent
to the new building.
Palo Alto HS FACILITIES STEERING COMMITTEE MEETING
Palo Alto Unified School District
03 June 2009
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7. JM asked; what impact does combining the Central Plant in the Classroom Building
have on the current budget and on the teachers?
o EL answered that there would be less noise than currently there. TH answered
that all new equipment would be a huge advantage and that this option needs to
be drawn up to show the physical impact.
8. TH noted that there will be a follow-up Central Plant meeting next week where
costs and scope of work will be more fully defined.
9. RT asked that the drawings remain with him so he can discuss them with the staff.
He and JM suggested a follow-up lunchtime meeting the teachers. EL noted that
he can provide more descriptive drawings of a typical classroom and office area to
help the discussion.
END
Prepared by Christopher Ades of Deems Lewis McKinley. Please advise if you feel that any of the above
items are inaccurate or need further clarification or detail.
cc: Attendees
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