BUILDING A NEW FUTURE
“There’s lots of other people involved other than the architect,” he told the kids, giving examples of civil engineers, electrical engineers, plumbing and mechanical engineers and also interior designers for the furnishings.
“We have to communicate with all of them,” he said. “And make sure the project finishes successfully.”
Orr showed renderings of the new school’s design as he spoke.
The new school, which took a year to design, is expected to be done in February 2021. But students will not move in until the fall of 2021 after the old school is razed during the summer and the landscaping and parking is installed.
Orr told the students that the firm makes a 3-D model and then put those specifications into a computer which shows the designs. They also make 2-D paper schematics of the design that he said used to be called “blueprints.”
The new building will include an elevator, he said. There will be two wings, one with the gym and cafeteria and the other side with classrooms, connecting in a ‘V’ in the main lobby where the school office will be situated.
“How did Lynnewood end up with the design that it did?” he asked. “First we have to look at the rules of the site.” They needed to stay within the setbacks and take the terrain into account, he said. The classroom wing will be three stories tall. The cafeteria will open up onto the playground.
After his remarks the students peppered Orr with questions, like whether he has ever designed a skyscraper. He has not, although he did build a 5-foot tall Legos skyscraper when he was a kid. Orr said he has designed 30 to 40 structures, however.
Asked about his favorite part of the job, Orr said, “To be able to see a building finished and being used.”
As the new school is being built, Orr walks around “and makes sure it’s going well,” he said.
Asked if his job is stressful,
Orr said, “At times but I enjoy it every day.”
In what might be a sad sign of the times, one student wondered about security measures.
“We’ll have state-of-the-art security features,” Orr said.