Integrus Architecture's Daniel Gero, senior associate and project architect for the new Tyee High School design, visited Tyee teacher Allison Thomas's Environmental Studies class in May.
Gero brought all of the proposed school design boards and illustrations of the planned bioretention facility and set them up in the classroom for students to examine.
Gero, along with representatives from EarthGen and Forterra, discussed rain gardens, parking lots and roofing choices. Students asked hard questions and pressed for projects they can work on now that could be part of a new campus design.
EarthGen and Forterra staff partner with Highline Public Schools to install natural spaces, rain gardens and filtration systems, like the grattix box connected to one of the walkways gutters on the current Tyee campus. Staff from these two non-profit organizations work with students, teachers and volunteers to increase environmental awareness and stewardship through project work.
The new school design plans include bioretention facilities, similar but larger than most residential rain gardens, designed to increase rain runoff reabsorption by the soil. The size of bioretention facilities directly relates to the amount of required parking spaces, the building footprint and the size of a site.
The roof design for the proposed new Tyee High School is a sloped metal roof, in accordance with Highline's design standards. The current design would not be suitable for a natural roof, but could be feasible for installing solar panels.
The design work for the new Tyee, Evergreen and Pacific schools was funded in the 2016 school bond. After hearing a recommendation from the community-led Capital Facilities Advisory Committee in May, the Highline school board will make a decision in June about placing the next school bond on November 2022 ballots.
