Blessed with a late start to our new school year, many of the faculty were on campus for the Thursday and Friday after orientation to work and get things all prepared for the students. During those two days, the faculty & staff were given the opportunity to tour the not-quite-complete Commons, led by Chris Hartman and Ken Motsenbocker. The faculty & staff had the chance to explore each of the floors and students spaces, marveling at the beauty of how old and modern elements were co-mingled, and how even now the project is a design-build. This means that the three factors of budget, sustainability, and aesthetics are still being negotiated to decide how the spaces will evolve.
BECKERMAN:
- John Grieco, metal artist who is adding work to Beckerman.
- Heading into Flag Hallway from Beckerman
- Overlooking Beckerman from the walk-around hallway
- Hats on and ready to go!
- Another look into Beckerman from the balcony
- Safety first!
- Explanation of finishing touches
- Another Grieco piece, this time with Mennonite-crafted table top for the wi-fi workstation in Beckerman.
- Chris Hartman, his father, and past Barn-educated alumni.
- Schifty and MIke Buck finishing off the nook in Beckerman.
FLAG HALL
- View out windows of Flag Hall
- Describing where the donor wall will hang.
- Some of the wood for the ceiling.
- Richard Lange and Josh Bruner–two men who can’t wait to get their hands working!
MAIN FOYER and SCIENCE CLASSROOMS
- Main entrance from Flag Hall
- In Carli Rivers’ 7/8 grade science room.
- A view of the variable heating/cooling system.
- Some of the large beams which will be stacked to finish the wall outside the science classrooms.
- Overlooking the Greenhouse space.
- Elevator and main staircase behind Chris.
THIRD FLOOR–BCCE (Briggs Center for Civic Engagement) and CMEE (Center for Mindfulness and Empathy Education)
BASEMENT PROJECT SPACE and WORKSHOP
- Workshop space.
- Project Space with control room behind.
GREENHOUSE (off of the basement rooms)
When asked for feedback from the tour, here is what some of the faculty & staff shared:
- “It was a wonderful tour that was a first step in helping to formulate uses for the lower level space. The top space seemed very peaceful so it seemed like a great space for mindfulness and Hospice. I liked how there is a room for reading data that is accessible to us.”
- “Great building, but will we really let the students manage it?”
- “I’m so proud to be part of this school; the new Commons with its blending of old craft and modern technology is just brilliant. Can’t wait to get inside it. It will help us become aware of our energy use.”
- “One thing I noticed is the lack of outlets in the project space. I LOVED the idea of video monitor on a barn wood wall. Wonder about acoustics of the top floor in ‘the Centrum of the MS and US’.”
- “I was impressed by the successful integration of new materials and old — the huge, weathered-but-sturdy beams, for example, help to create a warm feeling in the new structure.”
- “I was so happy to actually see the construction….I guess I’m a concrete learner (no pun intended). By walking through the structure, I found myself growing personally excited about the activities that will inhabit those walls in the near future.”
- “I have very few questions about the building itself at this point. It is obviously going to be a beautiful building allowing us to do things we could not do before. However, other questions tangentially related to the barn have occurred to me and others as well. It is a pretty big space, a lot to keep clean, and are we expanding the Maintenance staff? If we are financing part of the building, adding to our debt, won’t the percentage of the school’s budget going towards debt have to grow?”
- “I have had a hard time visualizing a finished product, so this really made everything more real to me. I can’t wait for it to be finished!”
- “I was amazed and thrilled at the building and its potential for learning for the students. It is beautiful, so rustic and interesting to see. The tour was great for me to see what is going on in there. I am so glad we are doing this! What a great place Harley is!”
That about sums it up for now. We will be adding more photos as the building continues to grow and mature in design and construction. As we near completion, we will open the building to tour students, parents, and alumni through the spaces, too.