Concept designs for the new Miller Middle School plan salvage part of the existing building and manage space on the property to keep students in school during construction.
The $45 million bond project aims to build a three-story building that will be 75,000 to 85,000 square feet in size, with a capacity of about 550 students. Current enrollment at Miller is about 475 students.
Architect and design teams with Reynolds Ash + Associates in Durango and Cunningham Architecture based in Denver presented a concept design last month that places a new building largely situated where the football field is located. The football field would then be moved to a part of the property where the existing building is located.
The proposed layout would have a dedicated drop-off zone for buses that is separate from the parent drop-off and staff parking lot.
“This was an opportunity to look at vehicular traffic on-site, and look at how pickup and drop-off work,” said Jackie Squiers, project architect with Cunningham.
The suggested design also anticipates keeping the newest wing of the existing building. New amenities the district is looking to incorporate include things such as outdoor learning spaces, use of natural light, art and performance spaces, and more community space.
“I’m excited just looking at it,” said Miller Middle School Principal Doug Geygan. “I’m already putting myself inside those walls and watching the learning happen.”
When working on concepts for the new building, district staff members toured a number of schools around the state to better articulate the wants and needs of Miller Middle School staff members and students.
“We’re focusing our efforts on maintaining a portion of the building, and then doing an addition,” Squiers said. “We know that there are additional renovation risks and challenges. Any time you renovate a building, there can be some unforeseen things you find out, but we’re keeping those in mind.”
A large part of the design concept was creating a design that allows for construction of the new building while students use the old building during the school year.
With these concepts in mind, the district and its project partners will be moving into the design development phase of the project.
Actual construction of the new building is scheduled to begin in January 2023 and last through June 2024. Students are expected to be in the new facility at the beginning of the 2024-25 school year.
The Miller Middle School project is being paid for using the $90 million 4A school bond passed by voters in November 2020.
njohnson@durangoherald.com
