Hello All, I have sent the following to the Building Committee for the Devotion Renovation. Please note some of the formatting has not come through on this post. Based on the feedback I received during the discussion with parents who attended the forum at Devotion library at 7pm on Sept 22nd, I have written the following description of ideas and concerns that were put forth. Although it is difficult to express the intensity of the parents thoughts and concerns in a letter, I am sending them to you with the intention of discussing them in person at a future date. The parents are excited about a school for the future, with a focus on education and the feeling of a small school. During the design process, they would like more transparency in communication from the Building Committee and to have teacher input be considered. They believe Town support for the design will be crucial for the project to move forward. Regarding the design of the building itself, ample and well-designed green space for sports and playgrounds are a very high priority. In order to achieve this in Option 1, there was an overwhelming desire to move the Stedman wing as close to Harvard street as possible to enlarge the field space in the back. It was also suggested that the height of one or both the wings can increase in order to reduce the building footprint and open green space. For Option 2, it was suggested that the mass of the building move closer to the existing building, making the connector smaller and reducing the footprint. Basically the parents felt that some flexibility in the design resulting in combining positive aspects of Options 1 and 2 should be explored. Maximizing usable green space for Devotion students was voiced as extremely important. An open, inviting entrance lobby with common spaces easily accessible to all students were also high priorities. Parents are concerned about the school growing in size after it is complete. They would like to know how the capacity can be limited to a 5-section/1010 student school. They would also like safety for students to be considered. It was suggested that the building be designed to accommodate modifications in school building program in the future. There are many serious concerns about the construction process. The noise from construction and the impact on students, especially those with special needs and sensitivities, is an issue that many parents would like addressed. This includes a search for swing space for these students. The parents would like the transition and phasing to be smooth and with minimal disruption. They would like space for extended day during construction. To summarize, the concerns of the group are listed as follows: Design Process Town support Teacher input Transparency in communications from the Building Committee Design Goals Small school feeling Education main focus Great school for future Building and Site Design Green space to be ample and well-designed (and include rooftops) to maximize usage for sports and playgrounds Inviting lobby with common spaces Common spaces to be easily accessible to all students Flexibility in design to accommodate future adjustments in program Small footprint Use of space on Harvard Street Convergence of Options 1 and 2 Building Design Concerns Safety Limit capacity to a 5-section/1010 student school Construction Process Minimize disruption during construction Impact of construction on special needs including possible swing space Smooth phasing Space for extended day during construction The Options were discussed separately with the following comments. Option 3 received strong opposition due to the lack of open space that would result from the existing school building potentially remaining on site for several years or permanently due to opposition of its demolition from historic preservation groups or need for the building for Town of Brookline purposes. Option 1 The Stedman wing should be moved forward to Harvard street to maximize use of the site for Devotion students Those supporting Option 1 favored circulation to take place in hallways rather than stairs Option 1 allows for more flexibility in use of interior spaces for potential program changes in the future The height of the wings on Option 1 can be increased to decrease the size of the footprint 5th grade can be moved to OLS in order to ease the transition in Phase 2 of Option 1 Option 2 Explore moving the main massing of the building closer to the existing building to decrease the size of the footprint
Posted on: Tue, 23 Sep 2014 19:50:11 +0000
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