Work begins on Sapulpa school contract
Published Oct. 4, 2022
"Working with teachers at this point is invaluable to us"
Reed Architecture and Interiors has started work on its newest design project with Sapulpa Public Schools. Their first step: gather information towards designing a new junior high and high school to replace the district’s 50+-year-old existing facility.
"We just had a great professional development day with all high school and junior high teachers," said David Reed, the founder and principal of Sapulpa-based Reed Architecture.
"We got to meet with all of the junior high and high school teachers in their teaching teams – the math teachers, the history teachers, all of them," said Reed. "We got to hear from each group what they would like to see in the new school. What amenities they need in each classroom and lab to be successful, what adjacencies work best between departments, what infrastructure they need, not just now but in the future. It was a great day of listening and interacting with each teacher and their teaching team. We got a lot of amazing input and look forward to working with them throughout the design process."
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This parallels the way Reed Architecture begins every project. The firm spends time interviewing stakeholders to hear and understand what they need in and from their projects. Reed Architecture uses this information to explore multiple design options to fulfill those needs. It engages stakeholders at every step to enhance their vision and achieve Reed's goal: to exceed client expectations throughout the process.
"Working with teachers at this point is invaluable to us," said Reed. "It helps us know we're designing what is needed for success, not just for our current teachers but those who will follow. These buildings are supposed to help students and teachers succeed for 50+ years. That's the lifespan we hope for these buildings, 50+ years."
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As these talks proceed, Reed officials will join school board leaders in public meetings with parents, students, and voters. More than 70 people attended the first gathering on Sept. 8. The next meeting will begin at 6 p.m. today at the Sapulpa High School Commons, with a third meeting coming in November.
Reed values these meetings, for these school buildings may serve not just students and teachers but the whole community.
"There are a lot of opportunities for the schools to operate more than just 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. for nine months out of the year," he said. "The building designs need to help the districts achieve these goals."
Following these meetings, Reed Architecture will help SPS leaders propose a spring 2023 bond election. It would ask voters to pass a bond issue to fund the construction of new junior and senior high schools on the existing high school grounds. The current campus serves both student bodies in a series of buildings launched in 1961.
The Sapulpa Public Schools Board of Education voted on Aug. 8 to hire Reed Architecture and the DLR Group of Kansas City to develop these proposed changes. Reed said DLR provides valued experience and consulting resources. While Reed Architecture has successfully finished more than 25 large and small educational projects, with others underway, DLR has 900+ completed worldwide.
"They're not just architects," Reed said of DLR. "They have several educators on their staffs, from teachers to retired principals and superintendents. They have an excellent understanding of the needs facing teachers and students."