Architects line up for WS school project

Monday evenings West Salem School Board meeting was taken up with presentations by four separate architectural firms. They were auditioning to be the firm of choice for the district if as enrollment projections suggest a new middle school will be needed in the next couple years.

The districts long-range plans to relieve overcrowding in the lower grades envisions a new building on vacant land owned by the district north of the present elementary school and bounded by North Mark Street and East Tilson Street.

District Superintendent Troy Gunderson explained that the firm hired would be asked to take a second look at the districts future plans. Well be asking them to review the plan weve come up and see whether it all makes sense, Gunderson said.

If thats the case and we do need a new building, how big will it be? Where should it be? That way, if you ask people to vote for it (in a referendum), you can answer those questions ahead of time, Gunderson said.

Two of the firms represented Monday are based in La Crosse: TCI and HSR Associates. StruXture Architects is based in Waterloo, Iowa, and Bray Architects is out of Sheboygan.

All were culled from a larger list compiled by the school boards Buildings and Grounds Committee and all have extensive experience in designing educational buildings.

Bray Architects was recently chosen by the La Crosse School District to do the design the Northside Elementary and the firm designed the existing West Salem Elementary building. HSR has designed buildings for UW-La Crosse, Western Technical College and Viterbo University.

TCI, which has completed projects nationwide, was the firm that oversaw the construction of the Heider Center. StruXture Architects has built school buildings all over Iowa, with the closest to La Crosse being a new middle school in Decorah.

During their presentations Monday, representatives of all four firms talked about the latest trends in school design, including items like natural lighting, flexible classrooms and green, efficient buildings.

You know, I think all these folks can do this work, Gunderson said afterward. He said that the firm chosen would likely do a preliminary study, put together a facilities plan, help the district put together a plan for a referendum and, if passed, oversee the construction and design of a new school building.

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Architects line up for WS school project