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3rd Place Primary Education – Kalama Elementary School
scott.huish//November 4, 2021//
Submitting Company: Emerick Construction
Location: Kalama, WashingtonCost: $34,540,208
Owner/Developer: Kalama School District
Owner鈥檚 Representative: CSG-ESD112
Architect: BLRB Architects
Engineer: PCS Structural Solutions
Additional Engineering Firms: Cardno, GeoEngineers, Sazan Group
Other Associates/Consultants: Halliday Associates, Humber Design Group, Intertek-PSI, Safeguard Industries, Stantec
General Contractor: Emerick Construction
Subcontractors: AA Asphalting, ABM Industry Groups, Accurate Concrete Cutting, Acme Construction Supply, ADP Lemco, Advanced Custom Cabinets, Advanced Equipment, Affinity NW Landscaping, Alliance Partition Systems, American Sure Step, Anchor Concrete, Authority Dock & Door, Bell Hardware of Portland, Beresford, Building Material Specialties, Brandsen Hardwood Floors, C&R Tractor and Landscape, Cascade Casework, Cascade Natural Gas, Charles H. Beresford Co., Cojon, Corona Steel, Corwin Beverage, Crowe Building Specialties, Curtis Restaurant Equipment, DeaMor Associates, Delta A/V, Design Space Modular Buildings, Eco Pan, Elmer鈥檚 Flag and Banner, Environmental Control, Farwest Steel Reinforcing, Fastenal, GB Manchester, Georgie鈥檚 Ceramic & Clay, Gibson Door & Millwork, Greenberry Industrial, H&N Sheet Metal, Harlen鈥檚 Drywall, Haulaway Storage Containers, HD Supply/White Cap, Herc Rental, JH Kelly, Knez Building Materials, Magna Construction Services, Masons Supply, Massie and Sons, Metro Metals Northwest, Nor-Pac Seating, Northwest Scaffold Service, Nystrom, Oregon Cascade Plumbing & Heating, Pacific Cabinets, Pacific Mobile Structures, Pacific Window Systems, Parr Lumber Co. Ridgefield, Patriot Fire Protection, PBS Supply, Portland Coatings, Prestige Tile & Stone, Rixir Systems, Rodda Paint, Rouse Surveying, Rubenstein鈥檚 Contract Carpet (Tumwater), Sawtooth Caulking, Skyline Sheet Metal, Spacesaver Specialists, Spraylock Concrete Protection, Stagecraft Industries, Star Rental, Sunbelt Rental, Superior Interiors, Tapani Underground, The Harver Company, Thyssenkrupp Elevator, Town & Country Fence Co. of Oregon, Townzen & Associates, United Rentals, United Site Services, Unlimited Fence, Waste Control Recycling, West Coast Roofing
Kalama Elementary School pays homage to the city鈥檚 rich rail history and features steel trusses at the entry canopy and the covered play area. The design reflects the railway trellises that were critical to the railway infrastructure and are reminiscent of old boxcars.
The 80,000-square-foot building includes administrative offices, a gymnasium, a cafeteria with a commons, a media center and a food service kitchen. It invites the community into its learning space and, on rainy days, the main office has a view of the water/rain feature off the building鈥檚 canopy.
Attention to safety is paramount and the main office has passive supervision of the interior and exterior leading into the secure vestibule. Students鈥� work is showcased in the heart of the building under the warm hues of exposed wood ceilings. Each classroom is equipped with cubbies, audio-visual equipment and displacement ventilation. A learning wall of whiteboards hiding storage cabinets behind them are easily accessible for students and educators.
The Learning Commons of small group rooms incorporate the classrooms together and provide ample opportunity for personalized learning. The school is grouped into learning communities, or 鈥淗ouses,鈥� that are each identified by a theme that tells a chapter in Kalama鈥檚 story.
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