The Middle School’s new two-story academic and administrative hub will ultimately serve as the new “front door” for families and visitors, and since winter break, faculty, staff and visitors have gotten a preview of the transformation going on inside.
CT Wilson Construction crews have been working nonstop on this second stage of the Middle School’s reimagination (technically Phase 3 of Beyond the Threshold projects, which also include the Upper School’s STEM & Humanities Center and K Family Outdoor Commons). After completing the Middle School Arts & World Languages Center in March 2021 on time and on schedule at the height of the pandemic, they’ve gotten really good at pivoting to keep the project moving along.
“We’re constantly dealing with supply chain issues beyond our control,” said Charlie Wilson ’87, CT Wilson’s president. “For example, we’ve been waiting on a transformer from Duke Energy for over two months, but we are trying to keep things on schedule as best we can by bringing in temporary heaters to keep doing painting and flooring.”
Video by Dave Chandler and Jesse Paddock
Throughout January, Middle School Director Jon Meredith has taken several faculty and staff members on hard-hat tours in anticipation of the spring move-in.
“Every time a group of teachers sees the building taking shape, they are wowed by the size, light and intentional design of the building,” Meredith said. “They understand how the arrangement of rooms will help them with teaching and collaboration and, more importantly, they can visualize how students will eat this new space up. It feels like the Arts & World Languages Center — modern, clean, fresh, built for Middle School kids — and very DA!”
“I loved seeing all of the large spaces where we could meet with a grade level of students,” said Middle School math teacher Kim Aitken. “And while it’s a giant building, it’s filled with light and some bright-colored walls that make it feel vibrant and modern.”
Aitken and her math, history and science colleagues will be housed in Gateway, along with the Middle School administrative team, student support services, the DA business office and Middle School admissions. But with student gathering areas and meeting spaces on both floors, including central staircase seating — similar to the STEM & Humanities Center and Arts & World Languages Center — the Gateway Center will be a hub for all students and teachers.
“One of the most exciting things about this new space is all of the common areas for kids to gather, work and hang out,” Extended Day Director Dan Gilson said. “The views are amazing, and the whole wall projector by the big stairs next to the gathering room creates tons of possibilities.”
Raleigh-based Cannon Architects was tasked with making sure the enclosed, two-story space retains the open-air feel of the Middle School’s expansive campus, and to find ways to bring the outside in. “The interior of the building is filled with daylight, color and texture to create a stimulating and nurturing environment for education and creativity,” explained the Cannon team. “Gathering spaces with direct connections to daylight are provided throughout the building. Each entry point is anchored by large canopies for gathering in covered outdoor spaces.”
“It's a beautiful space with fantastic views on both sides and loads of sunlight!” said Middle School language arts teacher Rachel Cummings. “What I love most about it is it offers us more spaces for gathering large groups of students: the stairs, the meeting room upstairs. That means grade-level gatherings and activities have options. The meeting room is a beautiful space that could also be used for a large gallery walk or project display.”
GATEWAY CENTER HIGHLIGHTS
- 48,000-square-foot interdisciplinary learning environment
- State-of-the-art design studio for STEM and robotics programs; exterior garage door allows work outside of the building
- Flexible space for hosting presentations of student work, special events or meetings
- Technology hub and help desk
- Two-story student mosaic art project
- Student store
Among the innovative features of the Gateway Center will be glass solar panels over both the south entrance canopy and carpool canopy parallel to University Drive. These semi-transparent solar panels allow daylight to filter in while collecting solar energy to the tune of a projected 33 kilowatt-hours, or approximately 7% of the building’s energy load. The panels are a unique product — manufactured by Lumos Solar and to be installed by Cary-based Yes Solar — that in and of themselves will be the covering for the canopy structures, rather than placed over a steel or shingle covering.
“That means students will enter and leave campus each day under working solar panels — a cool daily reminder of sustainability realities,” Meredith said. “On monitors in Gateway, we will display data about how much energy we are producing and saving.”
The Gateway Center represents the first building in the Beyond the Threshold campaign funded solely by philanthropy. Successive phases of planned construction are also dependent on the DA community’s generous support of the campaign:
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the removal of the classroom buildings behind Gateway and adjacent to the Arts & World Languages Center to facilitate the creation of a central campus quad, amphitheater and covered outdoor classroom (summer 2023);
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the reorientation of the front entrance to the Middle School from Academy Road to University Drive (summer 2024);
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and the construction of the new gym and renovated Extended Day center (summer 2025)
“It’s exciting to see the building so close to completion after watching (and hearing) it go up all year!” said Middle School history teacher Virginia Hall ’91. “I love how light and airy the inside feels, and my students are eagerly looking forward to helping to decorate our new space. We greatly appreciate the efforts of so many who have come together to make this happen.”
Faculty and staff aren’t the only ones invited to pop on a hard hat and take a look around. If you’re interested in touring the Gateway Center or learning more about how you can support the campaign, please reach out to Assistant Director of Family Philanthropy Caylan Ashworth at Caylan.Ashworth@da.org or visit www.da.org/beyond.