New School To Have Themed Flooring And High Technology

New School To Have Themed Flooring And High Technology

+ click to enlarge Courtesy drawing by Symmes, Maini and McKee Associates The Terrazzo flooring, above, will have earth tones. Left, the walls will have linoleum tiles and sheets. + click to enlarge Tara Vocino Reporter TEMPLETON –– Two new architects joined the team for the upcoming Templeton Center Elementary School to unveil the classrooms’ interior designs and approaches to technology on Tuesday. The new school will be a modern, state-of-the-art facility that will serve the town for many years to come with many needed features, such as low maintenance and durable materials inside and out; and 21st century educational technology. Dorrie Brooks, of Jones Whitsett Architects, said materials in the classrooms will have an earthly quality to them. Linoleum tiles and sheets will line the classrooms and corridors. “You’ll see less and less of vinyl tiles,” Brooks said. “We’re moving away from that. We’ll be using linoleum tiles in the corridors, and we’ll be using sheet linoleum in the classrooms. It has more of an earthy and warmer feeling than vinyl. We’ve had great luck with it for the past 15 years.” She said the building will have a color-coded navigational system so that students and teachers know where they are by the materials around them. “When we start talking about finishes, we support that sense of community, and we want to establish a sense of comfort and familiarity through colors,” Brooks said.  Twenty-four to 30 cubbies, or small storage spaces, will be installed in every room instead of in the halls to keep students’ belongings more secure. She showed floor plans with cubbies and sample furniture, but she was quick to note that teachers can rearrange this furniture as they deem fit. Brooks said porcelain planks will line the corridor walls and entry ways. “They’re durable, elegant and easy to maintain,” Brooks said. “They allow you to bring that stone quality and earthy feeling to the school.” Terrazzo flooring will be used on the main stairways, which is also durable and also carries the stone quality that the other structures have. Technology designer Patrick L. Weygint, of Symmes, Maini and McKee Associates, said the school will have the latest and best technology. It will have a schoolwide wireless network, including outdoor areas, a large electronic sign for lunch menus or upcoming events and an intercom system, where announcements can be made throughout the building. Weygint laid out the classroom tools for teachers and students, that will be funded through the construction costs. “Teachers will be provided with a laptop,” Weygint said. “Kindergartners through second-graders will use a tablet. Third- to fifth-graders will use a Chromebook. A touch screen option will also be available.” While grades K to 2 will use student tablets and grades 3 to 5 will use student laptops, all teachers will use laptops, a wireless access point and a device charging station. Besides technology in the classroom, there’ll be a large venue projection and sound system in the cafeteria and a large venue sound system in the gymnasium. The annual residential tax is $1.74 per $1,000 home valuation. Factoring into a $22.7 million reimbursement from the Massachusetts School Building Authority, the total cost to Templeton is $24.8 million.