THE NATURAL

is the best way to describe the skill that Dale Buchanan, your MCHS project manager is bringing to the job. There is no one in my professional experience that can keep things moving so beautifully. I am very proud of our team. Currently the following are all happening at the same time...

The electrical completion above the new ceiling line as well as the build out of the electrical in the Laundry/Mechanical Room as seen below.



The drywall finishers are wrapping things up in record time. We expect to have the tape and bed work complete this week with the texture being applied on Friday. The image below is the view from Miss Christa's office into the Guide Resource Center.

Miss Jeanne's classroom is currently flooded with natural light and will be even better once the SolaTubes are installed. This work is set to begin next week. Mirror lined skylights with a dampener system to control the light will create a great environment with tremendous flexibility.

Miss Toni's cabinetry would not fit inside the storage containers we have on site, so we placed them in the center of the class and wrapped them to keep them clear of any drywall compound. As you can see, when stacked together, they make a pretty impressive pile.

Miss Lynne's classroom shares the great view of the nature area and will have a new courtyard space that takes advantage of the shade from the tree line at the edge of the playground. You will note that the sheetrock is running about 8'6" up the wall. This is slightly above the height of the suspended ceiling system we are installing. But since we have fully insulated the walls and roof deck, the attic space will be far cooler than any you may be familiar with reducing our operating costs in winter and summer.

Regular readers as well as all the MCHS Board members know that I am a bit Library crazed. This is one of my favorite spaces in the new school. I don't know a single great man or woman that is not a reader and including this new dedicated area where books are readily available yet treated with a type of respect is so important. While many of us get our news and information from the internet and may even read on hand held devices, there is something about the tactile experience of holding a book and discovering the language between the covers that will always be exciting. The Library space with its raised ceiling and spaces for the built-in bookcases is seen below.

The new reception area is coming along as well. Miss Tamara's built-in desk serves as the boundry between the Reception Room and the Gallery which serves to bridge the North and South Classrooms. With the view into the trees and the natural light provided by the skylights, this core area will be a great introduction to the quality of your new MCHS building.


The exterior stucco has been patched and replaced as needed and the new finish coat is being applied. The entire school exterior will essentially be brand new. The view of the West facade is below. The top coat has been applied here and the masons are working on the East facade as well.

East facade is nearly complete. Once the stucco is finished we will continue with the exterior painting.

The school also has some really great details on the exterior hinting at how great the interior will be. Below the beamed celing of the BAC Porch has been primed and will be painted in a two-tone color scheme.

While the photo does not do it justice, there is a handsome detail that occurs between the columns and the lintel at the Porch roof as well. The proportions of these elements were carefully studied to create a harmonious assembly while relating to the mass of the existing building.

Don't be alarmed. The battleship grey color is primer for the top coats to come. These are nothing like the final colors except in their intensity. The primer serves to make the top coats cover better and last longer.

The many modifications of the South facade are now invisible since the finish coat is being applied.


Next week, we return to the really exciting changes. SolaTube installation, cabinetry installation, walls will be primed and a lot more.

It just gets better and better!