Northfield board hears detailed Reimagine Northfield High School design, schedule and sustainability plans

Architects for the Reimagine Northfield High School project presented a schematic-design update to the Northfield Public School Board on May 12, outlining a central "commons" organizing concept, classroom and activity layouts, site circulation plans and next steps on energy-efficiency reviews and competitive bidding.

The update, delivered by Sal Bagley of Wool Architects and colleague Alex Malna, summarized input from an eight-meeting core planning group, athletics and activities subcommittee tours, and a recent round of user-group meetings. "We really like to establish those criteria," Bagley said, describing a process that included tours of Owatonna High School, Waseca Junior High School, Saint Peter High School and Tartan High School, and visits to Mora High School and Rockridge.

Board members were shown a progression from adjacency diagrams to bubble diagrams and early floor plans. The design centers a Commons Café at the building core, connects academic wings around that commons, and preserves the existing auditorium and game gym while adding an expanded gym, music addition and…