Earlier this week, GE Johnson held a topping out ceremony for Cañon City Middle School with students, teachers and administrators in attendance.
The new middle school is part of a multi-facility repair, renovation, and upgrade project made possible by a successful bond and a Building Excellent Schools Today (BEST) grant. The design-build project is being performed by RTA Architects and GE Johnson Construction Co. The project is scheduled for completion in Spring 2021.
This topping out involved a 13-foot, 286-pound beam, which was painted white and branded with the blue GE Johnson logo. The project team gave students the opportunity to sign the beam during recess the week prior. The beam was then placed on the structure that will house the wood shop classroom, the cafeteria, upstairs classrooms and more.
According to RTA Architects, the central site feature of the new middle school will be the courtyard to be created between the existing gymnasium, the existing 1925 building that includes the original chimney, and the new addition along 12th street. The chimney from the original building will be visible from most locations on the middle school campus, creating a unique wayfinding feature.
21st Century classrooms and the library will feature flexible collaboration spaces for break-out sessions and small groups. Science classrooms for 6th and 7th grades will connect via a sliding door into their respective Maker Space, and the Synergy Lab and Tech Lab will also have the ability to connect through a sliding glass door for flexibility and visibility. The Commons will act as a commons/cafeteria as well as an auditorium. It is envisioned that this space will be the “heart” of the school and have a direct connection to the courtyard so that both spaces can be used on good weather days.
The Cañon City Middle School project broke ground in April 2019, with the first phase including the demolition of a two-story building containing a gymnasium, auditorium, and mechanical and electric room. Up next for the school is to dry in the structure in order to get it ready for winter.
Photo courtesy of GE Johnson
