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.
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Pittsfield Council to See 10-Year Charter Review Report
By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Following almost two years of work, the Charter Review Committee has made its recommendations to the City Council.
Tuesday's council agenda includes the committee's report dealing with governance items such as the charter objection, term limits, and financial procedures. Every 10 years, a panel reviews the City Charter, which defines the city's structure of government.
"The Charter Review Committee was established by city ordinance in May 2023. Its first meeting took place on August 7, 2023, under the direction of City Solicitor Stephen Pagnotta," Chair Michael McCarthy's executive summary reads.
"Solicitor Pagnotta informed the committee that its mission is to offer recommendations to city government concerning the Charter."
The charter objection was the most discussed issue throughout the preview process. Members determined "the City's interest in a functioning government is not served well by a Charter' Objection being made by a sole Councilor."
The nearly 50-page report proposes amendments to Article 2 Section 9C, Charter Objection, to allow for discussion, require three supporters, and be prohibited when it pertains to the proposed budget for the upcoming fiscal year.
"The Committee felt strongly that the budgetary process should not be held hostage to a Charter Objection. The process of approving a budget under the Charter involves months of hearings with firm calendar restrictions, leading to a budget that must be in place before each fiscal year begins," McCarthy wrote.
"A Charter Objection during this process would have the potential to disrupt and delay the budget being in place on July 1 of each fiscal year."
Stop & Shop boosted Berkshire Community College's food pantry by $7,500, providing students with nutritional stability while focusing on education. click for more
The committee voted unanimously on Wednesday to offer the post to Michael Henault, who has been the district's assistant superintendent for three years.
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