The Teton Valley Community School is proceeding full speed ahead with the award-winning design of the 2009 Open Architecture Challenge. They are working on a fundraising campaign and simultaneously moving ahead with coordination of construction documents in order to meet the school’s dire space needs for the upcoming school year. The school is beginning the lengthy approval process with the City of Victor in mid January. Teton Valley Community School is en route to submit for a building permit May 15, and plans to open up the ground for site work June 15 - pending funding. They hope to have enough funding to complete all utility infrastructure, site work and two classroom buildings this summer. Two additional classrooms are slated for construction as funds become available.
As the 2009-2010 school year is coming to an end, the Teton Valley Community School (TVCS) board, staff, students, and volunteers are gearing up for a busy summer of awareness events, fundraising, and ground breaking for the award-winning classrooms. TVCS has raised over $100,000 in addition to the AFH grant to support the construction planning phase of the project. This allowed the school to officially hire architect Emma Adkisson and pay for an engineered site plan and draft construction drawings. In addition, the City of Victor approvals process has been completed and utility easements have been negotiated with neighboring property owners. Fundraising consultant Elaine Walsh Carney has been hired to conduct a capital campaign planning study this summer.
The master plan for the TVCS campus includes the addition of five classroom units interconnected with bridges, pods, gardens and natural play areas. Flexible interior configurations let teachers design age-appropriate settings for the students while accommodating a diversity of community uses. Attached greenhouses compliment the school’s existing farm and garden program and help heat the classrooms during the winter months. Other sustainable elements include daylighting, straw bale walls, gray water toilets and geothermal technology.
Teton Valley Community School plans to move forward with ground breaking efforts this summer. This will involve connecting city water and sewer-lines to the site, installation of an underground geothermal loop system, vehicle access and parking lot reconstruction, and pathway work. Due to the relatively short construction season in the Greater Yellowstone Area, this will allow the school to be on tract to complete at least three new classrooms during the summer of 2011.