The new 83,650 s.f. Orting Middle School is located on a 52.8 Acre site located between two rivers, the Puyallup to the West and the Cowlitz to the East, which flow off of major glaciers on Mt. Rainier . The entire building is oriented toward the spectacular view of Mt. Rainier to the South East of the site. Each wing is named after a major glacier on the mountain oriented in the same general orientation as the glaciers they are named after.
The design intent of the building is to orient and connect students and staff to their micro environment and the larger macro environment.
The ends of each wing are constructed out of large exposed gluelam beams and large expanses of glass to take advantage of the views and light from the ends of the wings. Each node of the building is identified with special lighting features to further orient students inside the building. Each wing is individually designed to give each wing it's own identity and character.
The roofs are designed to shed water to the interior courtyards where rain garden collection systems have been integrated into the buildings, the storm water treatment systems and the science curriculum. The interior courtyards serve as exterior environmental science rooms as well as landscape features and working storm water treatment. Eventually the water from the roofs and other impervious areas filter down through the site and end up in the vast wetlands on site which ultimately drain into the Puyallup River to the West.
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