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The Taconic High project is now in the schematic design phase.

Architects Dive Into Detailed Designs For New Taconic School

By Andy McKeeveriBerkshires Staff
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Carl Franceschi presented the School Building Needs Commission a series of illustrations of what he envisions for various spaces in the new school.
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Architects for the new Taconic High School are "in a very exciting part of the project."
 
Drumney Rosane & Anderson Architects Inc. are starting to dig into the details of design — from the electrical infrastructure to the amount of glass used in the entrance.
 
The Massachusetts School Building Authority approved last month of the preliminary designs, studies and educational plan — moving onto to the schematic design phase. 
 
Carl Franceschi, of DRA, says they have dug right into the designing work. They've met with the Department of Utilities, the Fire Department, Community Development, Conservation Commission, and the Buildings Department to sort out the details of permitting. And, they delved into designing the various rooms.
 
"One of the requirements of this phase of design is schedule. And part of the schedule is permitting," Franceschi told the School Building Needs Commission.
 
And so far, "everything is falling into place with this basic layout."
 
The plan on building the new structure on the north side of the current entrance hasn't change for the 247,700 square-foot, three-story building. The shops will be on the first floor and classrooms above.
 
"That can be done and acoustically, there is no problem with the sound going from the shop into the classrooms," Franceschi said. 
 
Now the architects are getting into measurements such as the width of the hallways in order to firm up the exact square-footage of each aspect. And they recently met with school staff to help detail the needs of the shops.
 
The architects are also looking deeper into the parking situation, considering how many spots are wanted and needed — such as extra spots for playing fields. That has to be coupled with impervious surfaces, which causes more drainage work.
 
"We want to minimize the impermeable surface and not build overly excessive parking," Franceschi said.
 
Franceschi showed some ideas for spaces. On the front entrance, DRA is looking to use a lot of glass, facing south, to take in the sun. He said the backside of the building would likely have an "economical facade" in order to invest more in the front.
 
Most of the building will have flat roofs but some spots — like the library — will feature a large slanted roof, designed to be aesthetically pleasing.
 
He also presented a 3D image of the envisioned building.
"We don't think it is reasonable and appropriate to put sloped roofs on a building like this," he said, but in spaces it is acceptable.
 
He said he's heard some concern over the roofing with many people suggesting leaks occur more often on the flat roofs. Franceschi said sloped roofs have more intersecting points where they could leak. And they cause more construction, more insulation and more utility costs to heat the extra space. Finally, he said slopped roofs could cause a dangerous situation with ice and snow in the winter.
 
Instead, he suggested that if leaking was still a concern that the committee could decide to use some of the money that would be spent on a sloped roof and instead hire a roofing engineer to oversee the installation of the flat roof to ensure top quality.
 
The library is where he suggests a sloped roof. There, he envisions a lot of glass separating rooms, a lot of technology and using the corridors for learning, too. The cafeteria is also being seen as a "multipurpose space" that can be utilized in a number of different ways.
 
Franceschi showed the committee a number of photos from other schools with similar spaces.

Tags: school building committee,   Taconic High,   

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Berkshire DA, Kids' Place Launch Internet Safety Programming

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The Berkshire District Attorney's Office wants to break the silence about virtual child abuse that predators thrive on.

"Silence is the ally of an abuser," District Attorney Timothy Shugrue said.

On Tuesday, Shugrue and the Berkshire County Kids' Place & Violence Prevention Center detailed their newly created internet safety program that was softly rolled out in December.

"When I first took the office, I made a pledge that I wanted to reinstate youth programming, particularly school-based programs offered by the district attorney's office. Today, I'm proud to announce that I fulfilled that pledge," the DA said.

"The District Attorney's Office, in partnership with the Kids' Place, now offers internet safety education not just for children, but also for caregivers as well."

April is Child Abuse Prevention Month, and Shugrue said his office sees an "astronomical" amount of child sex abuse cases that originate on or happen online. He put that down to the Berkshires not being silent when it comes to reporting abuse. 

"We have a lot of reporting of child abuse cases and we have a lot of follow-up with that," he said.

Heather Williamson, program director at Kids' Place, is often asked how to know which children are in danger. Her answer: "All of our kids are on the internet right now. They're all in danger of accessing people that have a harmful nature towards them."  

The educational program was developed by both agencies using the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children's NetSmartz curriculum model. Two facilitators, one from the DA's Office and one from the Kids' Place, travel to schools to meet with students and caregivers across the county.

There will soon be billboards for public awareness.

"As technology rapidly evolves and internet access reaches new highs, our children face greater risks than ever before," Williamson said.

"As professionals, community members, and parents, it is our responsibility to educate, protect, and provide resources to keep children safe. While this topic isn't new, the threats facing children online are more serious than ever."

Other resources, such as Take It Down, a service that allows minors to get sexually explicit material taken off the internet, were highlighted. Shugrue emphasized that the program will hold presentations anywhere it is welcome.

"We would not let our children play outside without first teaching them how to stay safe and ensure that they are supervised. Therefore, we should not allow children to wander the digital world without first providing them with the education they need to stay safe and the supervision they deserve," he said.

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