Renovation of Boise High School
Idaho | Posted: 01/31/2002In 1995, the Board of Trustees voted to preserve historic Boise High School. The decision ended a five-year debate over the fate of the building and begun a complex problem-solving process. Saving Boise High School meant orchestrating a complex process to gain community support, reconfigure its campus, vacate streets, demolish three structures, build a new science and technology center, and finally, renovate the old school.
Designed in a Classical style and constructed between 1906 and 1922, the old school was plagued by code and safety issues. Wiring was faulty, exits inadequate, classrooms overcrowded, and the facility no longer met educational program standards. Its landlocked campus was confined between the urban downtown area and the historic North End, Boise`s oldest neighborhood.
Although District policy required that historic significance be weighed in closure decisions, soaring costs of an preliminary modernization plan forced the District to carefully weigh a variety of options - including demolishing the old school and building a new high school elsewhere.
The community was divided over the issue, but North End residents recognized its value in maintaining the integrity of their neighborhood and led the charge to save the school.
After making a commitment to save the school, the District hired architects and a construction manager who pledged to complete the renovation within budget. A Master Plan was created to address key issues:
- The campus must effectively interface with both the urban downtown and residential North End;
- To meet educational program requirements, the old building would become a center for humanities classes -- art, drama, language and history -- while a new building would accommodate computers, technology, science and math classes;
- The new building must respect the scale of nearby structures and context of the campus;
- Traffic and parking issues for the school and neighborhood would be resolved;
- A large Silver Linden tree at the edge of campus must be preserved -- per public opinion.
The District`s ownership of adjacent properties allowed for a reconfiguration of the campus to resolve traffic and parking issues. Plazas and parking areas contiguous to the street make the campus amenable to pedestrians and bicyclists while allowing for school access. In addition, the school district held a contest to generate creative ideas to provide much-needed parking. Three were implemented:
- Partner with the city bus system to allow students to ride free
- Arrange to share parking with the neighbors - including churches and the YMCA
- Improve bicycle storage at the school
The next step was the design and construction of the Frank Church Technology Building. The new facility, which incorporates the vernacular of its surroundings and interprets classical details in a contemporary design statement, includes classrooms, a media center, an auxiliary gymnasium, and cafeteria. Plazas connect the old and new buildings, providing an outdoor commons area for events and socializing. Materials were chosen to blend with the existing campus while presenting a new identity as a school of the 21st Century.
With its completion, renovation of the old high school could begin.
To facilitate the renovation, the City adopted the Uniform Code for Building Conservation, a model building code utilized by design professionals, the construction industry and clients for the affordable renovation and reuse of historic buildings. Without this flexibility, the project might have foundered.
Application of the UCBC allowed for complete historic restoration and renovation including life safety upgrades (electrical, fire sprinklers, new fire alarms, smoke detection and exiting), ADA accessibility improvements, data telephone, and lighting systems, and a reroof. Classrooms were enlarged to enhance the teaching/learning environment.
Forgotten architectural details were discovered and restored. A dark basement cafeteria was transformed into an "Art Wing" for art workshop and studio areas. A black box theater was also created. Interior colors and finishes are in keeping with the original early-1900s selections. Colors within the Auditorium and corridors were chosen from colors described in a 1918 newspaper article.
Money left after critical problems were solved was used to restore the historic Auditorium to its former elegance. A new catwalk/grid, rigging, lighting and sound systems were added, and the green room and dressing rooms were remodeled. Windows high in the auditorium, covered with plywood and wallpaper in a long-ago effort to block light, were filled with acoustical panels in the shape of the original windows to restore their original appearance.
The renovation was completed in September 1999 at a total construction cost of $13.5 million, with $4.8 for the renovation.
For more information contact:
Skyler Rubel
Hummel Architects, P.A.
802 W. Bannock Street, Suite 700
Boise, ID 83702
208/343-7523
srubel@hummelarch.com
