Middleton-Cross Plains Area
School District High School Remodel

Potter Lawson revitalizes Middleton school

By Brendan O'Brien

After 10 years of studies, public input and administrative processes, the Middleton-Cross Plains Area School District High School remodel project was finally turned over to the architects at Potter Lawson Inc.

Those architects designed four separate additions that were seamlessly blended into the existing structure.

The $27 million remodeling and expansion project included a state-of-the-art performing arts center, a three-station gym, a fitness center and a district printing shop.

The 900-seat arts center features a full fly loft and a full orchestra shell.

"There is no question it will be one of the best performing arts centers in the state because of all the attributes it has," said Mike Gordon, education group director at Potter Lawson. "With the 900 seats, it is larger than most being built today."

Because of its design, the center can act not only as a performance space but also as a large instructional area. With collapsible seats in certain sections of the center, the area can serve as an ideal location for faculty meetings and small assemblies.

Other art center features include a high-tech, stage-lighting system and a piano garage.

"(The piano garage) is just another interesting and unique feature," Gordon said. "They have a grand piano and wanted a secure place to store it."

Another addition to the school was a three-story wing featuring science and computer classrooms and computer labs. The 63,000-square-foot multilevel addition was designed to preserve some of the structure's natural surroundings, which include a park abounding with trees.

"We used an arborist, and I remember walking the site with the contractor and (school officials) and plotting out the points we couldn't go beyond," Gordon said. "That really influenced the footprint of the addition. And by going three stories instead of two, we were able to fit within the area of the park without jeopardizing the larger trees."

An art lab addition and a cafeteria commons area made up the rest of the additions to the school building. The commons was constructed in an interior courtyard space in the middle of the school structure.

"The finished product was really remarkable since we tried to keep the feel of an external courtyard as much as possible," Gordon said. "We wanted generous day lighting, so we designed perimeter windows as well as glazed roof monitors to bring light throughout the space."

	Project Name: Middleton-Cross Plains Area School District High School Remodel Location: Middleton Submitting Company: Potter Lawson Inc., Madison General Contractor/Construction Manager: J.H. Findorff & Son Inc., Madison Architect: Potter Lawson Inc. Engineers: Arnold and O'Sheridan Inc., Madison, structural engineer; STS Consultants Ltd., Milwaukee, civil engineer Owner: Middleton-Cross Plains Area School District High School Project Cost: $27 million Start Date: May 2000 Completion Date: October 2003

The architects also implemented occupancy sensors to control ventilation and lighting and conserve energy for the district. Daylight trackers turn lights off when enough outside light is detected to illuminate the area. Ventilation sensors in the return-air system detect occupancy, delivering outside air only when rooms are occupied.

The finished product could provide a model for future educational building projects.

"Architecturally, it was special because we took an existing building, planned additions and remodeling that resulted in a facility that is a model in terms of accommodating educational programs, addressing human needs and excelling in energy conservation," Gordon said. "We were able to take an addition and remodeling project and have it stand up to any new high school in the state."