SUBMITTED GRAPHIC Invision Architecture has rendered a concept of the new commons area in front of the auditorium entry at Miller Middle School, and it was presented to the Marshalltown Community School District Board of Education during a work session on Monday evening.

(EDITOR’S NOTE: This is the first in a three-part series on the latest news regarding the Reimagine Miller project.)

Designs of the revamped Miller Middle School were presented to the Marshalltown Community School District Board of Education during a Monday board work session, highlighting the vision of what the project will bring to the century old building after voters approved a bond issue to finance major renovations last November.

Invision Architecture Principal Architect Tim Turnis presented the update, alongside Boyd Jones Construction Manager Pete Perez and Senior Project Manager Michael Martin. Turnis acknowledged that it had been a few months since an update was given, but they wanted to create a brand or identity to make the people of Marshalltown proud.

“The transformation of the building will honor the past while preparing for the future,” he said. “We don’t know exactly what the future holds for education, but we want to be prepared, too, so the building will support that.”

The total cost of the Reimagine Miller project, which also includes a renovation of Franklin Field at Franklin Elementary, is $106 million. During the November general election, voters approved $57 million general obligation funds for Reimagine Miller, and the remaining $49 million will come out of the SAVE (Secure an Advanced Vision for Education) fund.

Reimagine Miller will address issues the building faces such as:

• Constant standing water and moisture in the lower level;

• Lack of space;

• Gym, wrestling area and locker room renovation;

• Updates to the media center, kitchen and bathroom entries and exits;

• Updated aesthetics and;

• Inadequate heating and cooling.

Turnis said the slides showing the exterior are a repeat from a previous presentation, but it was a way to ensure they know what the district likes. The history of the building will be respected, natural materials utilized when possible and materials will be selected which will last a long time. Incorporated throughout the new facility will be a strategic use of district colors, such as different shades of blue.

“We’re trying to pick up cues from the existing material palette,” he said.

Turnis added that the presented palette, which also consisted of community-centered graphics, polished concrete, warm wood accents and existing building materials, is only their first attempt.

He added that there are some modern additions included in order to support learning. Large sections of windows will have features to control glare. The main entrance and the auditorium will have new entries. A courtyard will be incorporated on the south side to allow for outdoor learning. Turnis assured there will be fencing, controlled gate access and mass to protect students and staff.

The west side of Miller will have a new classroom addition and additional parking. He said the north addition will look bland as it will serve as a storm shelter. Due to storm ratings, the windows placed in the shelter will be smaller, but large enough to still allow for natural light.

Turnis said the interior portion of the presentation is also a repeat, as they are taking previous cues. The area which will receive the most student traffic is the main entrance, featuring a large staircase to three sections, which he said are houses.

House 1, 2 and 3 will provide students with options, and each will be separated by grade with seventh grade on the lower level and eighth on the upper, Turnis added. Each house will have strategic color schemes highlighting existing materials, similar classroom sizes and storage for consistency and durable and sustainable finishes.

“We’re going to look for moments where we can instill some school pride and celebrate what the building is and what the building represents,” Turnis said.

For House 1, which is the 2005 wing, they would like to use deep navy blue, and widen the corridors where possible. The plan is to remove the lockers and create cubbies or nooks for students to use. There will be quiet seating areas outside of each classroom in which Turnis said a student can take a missed test. Those areas will have windows to allow for supervision.

The shade of blue for House 2, the 1957 wing, is royal blue. That section of Miller will have landing spots and a similar configuration of classrooms to House 1.

House 3, which will be new construction, will feature a light blue shade. There will be new construction on the southwest side entry, creating an open stair concept and opportunities for natural light and utilizing the existing wood floor.

“To connect all of the stories, we are looking for the open stair concept, bringing natural light all the way through and creating a central organization of vertical circulation” he said. “This is an opportunity where we can explore the use of the existing wood floor to bring back that history, although it’s new construction.”

Turnis said there will be a co-learning area which will overlook a sunken courtyard. Teachers will be able to bring entire classes out to the area. Miller staff will also have a space specifically for them to collaborate with one another. This way, Turnis said they will not have to do that in classrooms.

He frequently brought up the desire to use more natural lighting in the expanded, renovated and rebuilt middle school. According to Turnis, the commons area will feature a lot of natural lighting and the existing Miller building will be incorporated in that space.

The historic auditorium will be kept, repaired and given simple upgrades to the seating and floors, Tunis said. They also want to open the windows on the north wall.

After the session, Superintendent Theron Schutte said there will be a public meeting about updates on Reimagine Miller at 6 p.m. next Monday at the Orpheum in the Black Box.

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Contact Lana Bradstream

at 641-753-6611 ext. 210 or

lbradstream@timesrepublican.com.