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Mount Tahoma High School Since 1963, Mount Tahoma High School has served the South Tacoma community. The school hadn’t aged well and was in desperate need of replacement in order to better serve both students and the surrounding community. The goals of BLRB were to create a comprehensive, state-of-the-art high school that would support and enhance Mount Tahoma's educational program, celebrate its unique culture and traditions, and ultimately become a community landmark. An interactive and collaborative planning process involved over 40 representatives of the school district administration, Mount Tahoma High School staff, community members, parents and students. Its outcome was a design that took into account Mount Tahoma’s restructuring of its educational program after being named a Gates Grant recipient, as well as significant input on ways the school must serve the surrounding community. There was a strong belief the new facility’s design must both preserve and celebrate the school's established heritage and culture, as well as serve as a natural extension of the character of the South Tacoma community. The building’s organization is predicated upon facilitating community use, maximizing daylight, celebrating views of Mount Rainier and, most importantly, personalizing the learning environment. Mount Tahoma’s design is a success on all of these levels. Educationally, Mount Tahoma is designed to increase student achievement and staff effectiveness by creating a personalized learning environment that helps to strengthen relationships between students and staff. To that end, the school is organized into four independent learning academies, or “schools within a school,” each accommodating approximately 400 to 450 students, with a student commons, or “social heart” linking the academies. The school has been embraced by the community, and fills a void as a community gathering place of which people are proud. (Weddings have even been held here!) This is a true 21st century high school, completed on time and, due to creative scheduling and innovative use of materials, $2,000,000 under budget. Mount Tahoma is an example of environmental sustainability and energy-conscious design. The design optimizes the use of daylight, natural ventilation, and quality acoustics to enhance the indoor learning environment. Non-toxic “green” building materials and finishes are used throughout the interior, contributing to a healthy school. Quality materials are used to reflect BLRB’s belief in timeless architecture— creating a 50 to 100 year school that is cost-efficient to operate and maintain and will ultimately pass the test of time. 2005 First Place Award (Education: 9-12), Mason Contractors Association of America (MCAA) 2005 Merit Award, Washington Chapter, Council of Educational Facility Planners International (CEFPI) 2004 Honor Award, Masonry Institute of Washington “You can speak with our 37-member steering committee, departmental chairs, teachers, and students, to find nothing other than great admiration for BLRB and the inclusive process they used to create the design.” -Thomas Shearer, Principal, Mount Tahoma High School “Mt. Tahoma is a large, complex campus spread out over 54 acres … We were able to complete this project on time and under the school district’s budget due to the quality of BLRB’s design and their collaborative approach to solving field issues on a timely basis.” –Lease Crutcher Lewis (general contractor) Grades 9-12 |  | ||||
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