Core Design Team

Firm: Integrus

Mark Dailey
Brad Hakala
Ty Miller
Katie Vingelen
Karen Spotts
Richard Sachs
Julie Taylor
Xiaoyi Liu
Jonathan Henriquez
Aaron Zwanzig
Brent Olsen
Bob Browning
Heather Kline
Rob Wiese

Consultants/Collaborators

GCCM Contractor: Garco Construction
Mechanical Engineering: MW Consulting Engineers
Electrical Engineering: MW Consulting Engineers
Civil Engineer: AHBL
Landscape Architect: SPVV
Kitchen: Design Development
Acoustics: SSA Acoustics
Cost Estimating: Eight 31 Consulting

Project Narrative

This dynamic new middle school reflects exceptional circumstances coming together to create a vibrant and welcoming learning environment. Overlooking the Palouse wheat fields in Eastern Washington, the school team embraced design solutions celebrating the school’s unique ‘spirit of place’. The last middle school of six built under the same bond, it leverages insight gained in that process with guiding principles for building a new community and culture of curiosity. Site and building design are woven into the context of an adjacent elementary school, creating a new campus supporting overarching goals for ‘learning happens everywhere’ and ‘building community’.

Building Inspiration
Located in a hilltop neighborhood at the northern edge of Palouse farmland, the school’s design is inspired by its unparalleled setting. Referred to as “the front porch to the Palouse”, the design focused on taking full advantage of its picturesque site featuring southern views, daylight and indoor/outdoor learning opportunities oriented to the unique natural setting.

The guiding principles of ‘learning happens everywhere’ and ‘building community’ drove the design of the school building and campus. The school’s form and materials take inspiration from regional agricultural context, with visual and physical connections expressed through form, materials and finishes inside and out. The intent was not to copy barns and silos, but to emphasize the heavy mass with ordered/disordered large window openings within the mass. Similar to the utilitarian nature of neighboring farms, the exposed steel structure presents a hard-working aesthetic.

The welcoming, subdued entry eases passage into the expansive lobby, with light from above filtered through perforated metal sunshades. A new learning space arrangement ensures equity of experience, where classroom ‘neighborhoods’ called Learning Hubs connect to a two-story ‘heart of the school’ library known as the Learning Commons and the Nutritional Commons (cafeteria), with a prominent social stair for gathering centered between the two. All spaces feature opportunities for ‘learning happening everywhere’ including areas carved out in spaces typically intended for transitional uses. These nooks provide for learning and decompression with soft, comfortable furnishings of varying sizes and scales. The overall design intentionally directs attention to picturesque views of the courtyards, Palouse fields, and adjacent learning spaces. Southern courtyards are widened to provide views and daylight into the Learning (library) and Nutritional Commons (cafeteria) with outdoor connections supporting the goal to provide views and daylight from every space.

Key Design Features:

  • Adaptable Learning Spaces: Classroom neighborhoods and central learning commons encourage
    collaboration and flexible learning experiences.
  • Natural and Agrarian Inspiration: Use of durable zinc metal panels, restrained color palettes and
    simple forms reflect regional landscape.
  • Sensory Garden: An outdoor area designed to stimulate the senses with textures, scents, sounds,
    and movement, supporting outdoor education and providing a tranquil refuge for students.
  • Holocaust Education: Dedicated resources in the library, public art walls, and active engagement
    from the school’s namesake enrich the curriculum.

Building Integration
Between the unique site and inspiring staff and district leadership, the design team was able to embrace site and building solutions anchored to its surroundings, while celebrating the people and identity that create the fabric of this specific community.

The building thoughtfully orients classroom ‘neighborhood hubs’ to the south, with the ‘heart of the school’ Nutritional and Learning Commons intentionally elongated to the east and west to provide ample daylight to the southern outdoor courtyards. Given the exceptional site, teachers and students set a goal of celebrating nature with internal and external connections. The restrained entryway, strategic use of natural light, and soft furnishings in transitional spaces all contribute to a comfortable and inviting atmosphere. These design choices were made to ensure students feel at ease and motivated to engage in their individual learning journey.

The school’s namesake was chosen for her noteworthy contributions to the regional educational community. Carla Olman Peperzak, a local 99-year-old Holocaust survivor and educator, models strength and resilience as she speaks throughout Washington State and actively engages with students at the school. The school’s Learning Commons includes educational Holocaust materials available to every middle schooler in the district, helping to educate and inspire next generations. “The name of a school should reflect and represent the community. We also wanted to make that choice with equity in mind. We had 54 schools…mostly named after white men. This was an opportunity to shift that dynamic to reflect the demographic of the students that we serve. Carl’s story is one that really needs to be heard.” – Spokane School Board member Mike Wiser

Environmental Sensitivity
The site’s natural beauty and agricultural context played a significant role in enhancing the school’s relationship to the natural environment. The building is oriented to maximize natural light and frame picturesque views of the Palouse wheat fields. This thoughtful placement provides students with a constant connection to the outdoors and natural daylight. Perforated metal panels and high performance glazing are used at the south and east ends of the school to minimize solar heat gain and glare while maximizing views and natural daylight.

The school emphasizes sustainability and resilience, ensuring building longevity and minimal environmental impact. The design incorporates sustainable practices, including use of durable materials and energy-efficient systems. Site landscaping and the sensory garden includes native plants, reducing the need for extensive irrigation and supporting local biodiversity. The inspiration was to bring the Palouse farmlands up to the school’s classrooms. A northwest perimeter forest was intentionally left alone to provide a natural setting for students to learn, play and rest and provide a visual buffer to the adjacent neighborhood. The approach to the site landscaping was a strong departure from the heavily irrigated, manicured model of the past to more natural, drought resistant grasses and wildflowers that showcase the beauty and benefits of native grasses and flowers.

The building’s exterior is mainly local brick masonry and natural metal siding made of titanium zinc. The zinc metal siding will never need to be painted and has a service life of around 100 years. Inside, these same materials are utilized as well as interior finishes that meet SCAQMD Rule 1168, Green Label Plus, Greenguard, and Green Seal GS-11 Requirements.

Social Impact
The goal of Peperzak Middle School is to create an emphatic and inclusive community that celebrates its unique site and context. Carla Olman Peperzak’s active engagement with students, along with a dedicated library section on Holocaust education, enriches the educational experience, fostering a deep sense of history, empathy, and understanding among students. In the first academic year, students from school and other district schools have engaged in Holocaust education art and history projects that are now on display in the school.

During the design process, the team actively engaged with local elementary and middle school students who would become future Peperzak students, to discover their ideas of outdoor learning and play. Through workshops and surveys, the students themselves chose the final outdoor play structures based on their needs and desires. In addition to providing an equitable experience for all students, a magical sensory garden supporting outdoor education and engaging the senses is located in the southeast outdoor courtyard. The sensory garden invites all learners to explore and engage the five senses of the human body. Noteworthy features include native plants, wood art posts, a metallophone, wind spinner, and therapy swing providing a soothing, quiet place of refuge.

As a departure from the traditional library and cafeteria model in middle schools of the past, Peperzak embraces a Nutritional Commons (cafeteria) and Learning Commons (library) that eliminates walls and allows the space to be utilized throughout the entire day. The two spaces are linked by a social stair that provides connection to the second floor, becomes an informal presentation space, and allows for collaboration and interaction. The intentional location of these spaces promotes a culture of curiosity by maximizing exposure to various adjacent programs such as art, music, choir and CTE.

Client Satisfaction
The bulk of the design process was remote via Zoom due to Covid-19. The design team needed to be sensitive and thoughtful on how to engage staff, administrators, students and community members who were spending the bulk of their working day on a screen. Providing more engagement sessions within the same timeframe allowed the design team to shorten the length of an individual meeting while engaging critical stakeholders. These shorter meetings allowed for richer dialogue and content in developing the educational specifications and guiding principles.

With Peperzak as a new school for the district, the staff members on the design team were all new to working with each other and the principal. The engagement sessions also became a chance to partner with the district and the principal in using the engagement sessions to develop the staff culture and relationships.

“When we took on the task of developing a new model of student interaction for our Middle Schools, the design team was an integral partner. This building not only fits perfectly with the nature of the site, it is an energetic example of relationship building. This building encourages students to own their learning and grow toward a successful educational experience.”
– Greg Forsyth, Director of Capital Projects & Planning

With creative opportunities for learning both inside and out, the district and community vision for a warm, welcoming learning environment is realized in this bright new school providing students with an inspiring place to learn and grow, living up to its namesake’s hope for universal understanding and acceptance.