Construction Update - February 7, 2012

The progress of construction has advanced considerably in the past two months as the newest aerial image demonstrates.

All of the structural steel is now in place, and most of the roof decking has been completed. In parts of the project, construction workers are attaching rigid insulation and sheathing to framing. Brick and concrete masonry work is just beginning.

Last month students and teachers were invited to the site to sign a commemorative beam and witness it hoisted into place. It will form an important part of the school's structure for as long as the building stands. It's hard to believe that by the beginning of their next school year, likely the next time most of the students will visit the site, Cherry Crest Elementary will be complete and ready to welcome them.

In its skeletal state one can at last see how the building frames views to the forest around the school property. These moments occur throughout the project, weaving nature into the building and into the learning process.

View from the Main Entry toward the parking.

View from the Main Stair toward the Courtyard.

View from a Classroom.

Another feature of the school that was recently installed is the Central Stair. It's made of large sections of precast concrete, lowered onto a steel substructure by crane. Designed primarily as a place for instructors to gather and teach multiple classes at once, this area is a unique amenity that can serve for community gatherings as well.

Construction Update - December 19, 2011

The Cherry Crest Elementary School construction site has been a riot of colors this fall. The ever changing presence of the landscape and trees was inspirational in designing the school and it's gratifying to see that preserved.

Since the last construction update the concrete slabs have been completely poured, nearly 1100 cubic yards or 1700 tons! With the entire footprint of the school now in place (the aerial image is a bit behind our progress), one can begin to see how the building is broken up into smaller masses so the scale of the school cedes to the scale of the trees and clearing.

So much goes into the foundations of a building in terms of labor, but also in terms of conduit and piping. That all of this gets covered by a material, concrete, that's challenging to alter once it's poured, is a testament to the planning that goes into a complex project like Cherry Crest Elementary School.

Steel began to arrive on the site at the beginning of December. In just a few weeks the framing for the gymnasium, administration, and library were bolted together. Each piece of steel is specially fabricated off site and assembled by steel workers and a crane working in tandem. The steel workers make it look easy, walking along the narrow beams, grabbing enormous pieces of steel hanging over their heads, then bolting them in place. Since every beam, column, and truss is numbered progress is remarkably rapid. By mid-January when most of the steel will be assembled, the frame will include about 10,000 separate pieces together adding up to almost 450 tons of steel.

Construction Update - September 26, 2011

With the site cleared, the new Cherry Crest Elementary School has begun to take shape in the ground. The foundations of the new building, concrete footings and stem walls, have been poured over the past six weeks, and this work will continue into October. Once completed, the closely interwoven relationship between the building's perimeter and the forested edge of the site will be visible.

On the north play field, Geo Loop Tec has completed the ground source heat pump bores. These bores contain piping encased in a thermally stable grout. Each one runs approximately 300 feet below the ground where the temperature of the soil is approximately 50 degrees Fahrenheit. Using specific mechanical systems, the new elementary school will circulate water through this piping to cool the building's air when it's warmer than this baseline soil temperature, and to heat the air when it's cooler. Eventually, the tubing that is shown protruding from the ground will be covered with soil, allowing it to be used as a play field once again. The efficiency of this ground source heat pump systems represent significant operational and environmental savings for Cherry Crest.

Footings and stem walls define the perimeter of the new elementary school.

The north play field has 85 ground source heat pump piping bores spaced across it.

Machines bore into the ground, sending piping 300 feet deep.

A thermal grout protects the piping. Eventually these pipe leads will be covered by the new play field.

The piping will enter the building's mechanical room through pipe sleeves in the perimeter concrete wall.

Construction Update - July 22, 2011

Progress continues on the demolition of the existing Cherry Crest building.  Utilities for power and communication are being placed in the driveway.  This effort will continue through next week.

We wanted to note some of the recycling efforts on the project thus far. Metals are salvaged and sent to recycling plants, concrete and masonry are processed and reused on site, and asphalt is collected for use in new paving products. As much as possible, materials are processed on site for reuse in the new building, while excess materials are put to use in other construction projects. In this way, waste is minimized.

Recycling/processing of the concrete via a giant crusher. This material will be salvaged for the duration of the construction to armor the site in the winter months. In the spring, it will be hauled off for recycling at a concrete recycling facility.

One of the trees removed to make way for development of the new elementary school and its associated parking/access drives. The tree will be salvaged as a site feature in the new building's rain gardens.

Panorama from the south showing the entire building footprint.

Material processing operation of the demolition.

Construction Update - July 15, 2011

Progress on the Cherry Crest project is rapidly moving forward! The flyover this month doesn't show much since it was photographed July 1st, prior to any major demolition. The remaining photos were taken in the first two weeks of July as work progressed. They show construction workers removing the covered play area and the 100/200 buildings. Demolition will continue for the next week followed by utility and footing work for the new building. Work on the geothermal system in the playfield will start soon as well.

We aim to keep you informed throughout the construction process with monthly posts showing the latest developments.

Community Meeting - September 28th, 2010

At a community meeting last Tuesday, the NAC|Architecture design team discussed the current developments for Cherry Crest Elementary.  Among other topics, the presentation covered ideas about the location of the building and circulation on Cherry Crest's site, the exterior aesthetics of the building, the interior organization of spaces, and how the concept of site weaving has guided our decision making.

Site weaving is the notion that Cherry Crest's physical and visual relationship with its unique clearing should be closely linked, giving the sense that the school is not merely in nature, but inextricably a part of nature.

Front (West) side of the building

View of the entry court and canopy from the approach

View of the court from the entry underneath the library 

First floor plan

Second floor plan

Community Meeting - March 4th, 2010

At a community meeting in Bellevue on Thursday (March 4th), the Design Team presented their impressions of the Cherry Crest site, provided an overview of the project schedule, and related findings from their preliminary meetings with the school's Design Committee.  The Design Team received initial public feedback during the meeting and looks forward to communicating their plans with stakeholders in the future through public meetings, and through this blog.

Download a pdf of the Design Team's presentation materials from the meeting.