Additions Proposed for Washington-Hoyt Elementary School
A public notice caught our eye today: the Tacoma School District has applied for a variance to building design standards for upgrades and an addition to Washington-Hoyt Elementary School in Proctor. The designs show the additions on the North Adams Street side of the school property as two single-story buildings with a courtyard between.
The school, built in 1906 last had a significant addition added in 1949. The proposed project will include a remodel and restoration of the original building, and the replacement of the 1949 gymnasium with new construction, and the addition of a new cafeteria, gymnasium, stage, library, and classrooms. The kids will also be getting a new playground and playfield with a covered area. A new bus drop-off area and on-street perpendicular parking are included in the plans as well.
Comments on the plans are being accepted by the City through February 13. Download the full public notice here (pdf).
The supporting documents describe the additions and remodel as “in the character of the school’s history.” What do you think?
Updated: Here’s a better 3-D representation of the plans. Thanks to Dan Voelpel for pointing this out.
Filed under: Neighborhoods, Proctor, Tacoma Landmarks, Tacoma Schools
20 comments
J Jesse January 31, 2013
I wonder if there are plans for all the schools they want to remodel/replace with the bond money they’re asking for in February. It be great to release them, if they exist, so people can see what they’re voting for, in pictures, to make the bond issue more tangible in the minds of voters.
E Erik B. January 31, 2013
Kudos the to the School District for renovating a historical school in Tacoma.
However, my first impression of the design is that the new additions to the building are too closed and brutish. The additions are something one would expect from the 1950s.
Are architects capable of making something beautiful and attractive approaching Washington Elementary School rather than just functional blocks?
P P. Rising January 31, 2013
I like the transparent aspect of the additions to Washington ES. The additions also tend not to compete with the classic grandeur and symetry of the older building. Considering the size of the additions to move the Hoyt facilities on this campus it looks like the modernized building will be easier to admire then at present.
F fredo January 31, 2013
Rooflines are wrong, brick is wrong color, windows don’t match, too many hard surfaces, and the new construction blocks the view of a nice historic building.
The little kids…they look OK.
E Erik B. January 31, 2013
From my understanding, there will not even be real windows on the building on the left, they will be like the Save a Lot Building (now vacant) on Hilltop on facing K Street.
Essentially a blank wall all along with street.
Wit Mason Middle School and Safeway, we were faced with almost the identical original design as presented above.
However, we were able to convince the owners to add windows facing the street.
The final design for the steam plant by Wright Park even has windows facing the street.
B B. Fields January 31, 2013
It is difficult in a single rendering to understand the amount of effort the architectural team has placed into making this a beautiful and inviting renovation. The historic building is respected and the school gains functionality. The additions will be a benefit for the district and the neighborhood.
E Erik B. January 31, 2013
P. Rising,
Thanks for the work on the building.
Could you answer a couple of questions:
1) Will you be able to match the color of the brick with the original building? The color on the above rendering looks a great deal darker.
2) Are there actual windows on the left building in the above post facing the street or are they false windows or insets like the MLK Save a Lot building?
Thanks for the information.
M Mofo from the Hood January 31, 2013
The side of the school where the additions will stand is basically service entrances—the cafeteria and janitorial/boiler room—except for the SW corner auditorium entrance. At least one time before, a complementary building has stood on the NW corner of the lot. Back in the 1960’s the site had a wooden portable classroom with covered parking for bicycles (Speaking here as an alumnus.).
As for the proposed additions, I agree with the decision of style contrast. I’m a big fan of mid-century contemporary styling, so I think features that allow lots of natural light and impress with innovative wit would be ideal for a school environment.
F F. Moore February 2, 2013
No surprise it’s BLRB which also has ties to the Landmark Commission. They will build a structure that lasts about 15 years. Tacoma Public Schools won’t maintain it properly so then they can ask for levies and bonds from the public for “improvements” but within a matter of a few more years these disposable buildings will be torn down and BLRB will win another contract to rebuild.
N nwcolorist February 4, 2013
This current plan may be heading toward the same result we saw with Stadium HS .
That school’s remodel was functionally done well, but, because of the addition of the big box structure directly across the street from the entrance, the community lost the unique picture-postcard view of the ‘Ole’ Brown Castle’ that we had enjoyed for a century.
The addition of the new buildings will significantly impact the look of this historic structure. The question for me is, does the increased functionality gained trump the loss of architectural integrity?
B Bea C February 4, 2013
The massive amount of added construction would be appropriate for increasing student pop. in the area if there were no other schools to make additions. But considering the cramped space in the center of the Proctor shopping area and traffic, I think the school should be downsized so it can pretty much be contained in the original bldg. Then the classic bldg can be appreciated from all sides and parking for the school will be available on site.
Please realize that Proctor Station Post Office employees park all day filling both sides of the North and East sides of the school’s block. The new plan will send the employees parking all over the residents’ neighborhood for blocks and keep shoppers away from the Proctor shopping area because of lack of parking and conjestion.
These grand plans are not appropriate in these hard economic times anyway. The taxpayers are tired.
T tacoma_1 February 5, 2013
Call me an eternal optimist but I’m voting yes for dumb kids in a smart building.
J joe blowenstein February 5, 2013
How about we do a seismic retrofit, jam in an ADA elevator, then leave the rest as it is. Spend the leftover $100 million or so on higher teacher salaries and additional teaching staff. If you need more space, use the friggin’ under-populated Jefferson – a practically brand new building that is far from busting at the seams.
Washington is postcard beautiful. It won’t be when this is done. I don’t understand this fetishism with school construction, when the money would be better spend on PE, arts, more teachers, better teacher pay, better maintenance of existing buildings.
Don’t get me started.
M Mofo from the Hood February 5, 2013
Spend money on expanding the public school curriculum of arts and physical education? Tacoma doesn’t need more hot yoga fingerpainters.
However, the proposed glass room does bring to mind the pop culture glass pyramid used for the practice of mind emptying.
Maybe we better slow down and think this through.
C Camp666 February 5, 2013
MY GOD! How can they do this???? How dare they remodel something in a way that somebody in our community disagrees with! rabble rabble walkability! rabble rabble mixed use! rabble rabble parking and historic building views!!!!!
I say we all get together and make picket signs and meet up outside Washington and let them know how we feel!!!!!!
Or…..
maybe take part in the meetings regarding the school design that took place like a year ago. There’s a thought.
J JJ February 5, 2013
If it has glass the kids will gleefully with criminal delight
break it.Build it like a prison because many of the students will end up there anyways when they grow up.
P Peter P February 7, 2013
No one has commented yet on the new building on the east side of the property (on the opposite side of the open play area). What’s that about? Overall, it seems like the design crams a lot of structure on a relatively small lot (by school standards). I’m no fan of the finishes as shown — too much of a contrast with the historical details of the old building and nothing that serves as a design transition. Not related to the design itself, but it really irks me that to see the designs requires signing into our FB corporate overlord — no thanks.
S SuperTaco February 7, 2013
I just don’t think this can be good. The school would be way too big if they added these… Isn’t there some kind of size limit?
D DragonOfSpaghetti February 10, 2013
Hey, JJ? Fuck you. Not all kids are evil, you son of a bitch.
D DinoDinoSlam February 24, 2013
DragonOfSpaghetti! We do not swear on this site. You have been banned as of today!