What's with the new look at John Marshall High School?
Sep. 30—Dear Answer Man: Why the new black siding on Rochester John Marshall? Who decided it was a good idea or a good look for black? Sealed off the building? No opening windows? I just don't understand why that would be a good idea. It really just hurts the look of the good building. Doesn't black just cook? — Curious Neighbor.
Dear Curious,
At first I thought this was part of some new fashion trend for buildings. Black is a slimming color, after all.
Alas, that's not the case. And while some of your assumptions have some merit, the new "curtainwall" has a certain method to its blackness.
But before I explain all that, here's a little reminder of how we got where we are.
As ace K-12 education reporter
Jordan Shearer noted in a March 2022 article,
the work being done at JM — particularly the work you, Curious Neighbor, are looking at — is part of a three-year, $45 million upgrade plan at the high school. It seems John Marshall's boilers, an almost self-explanatory part of the HVAC system, dated back to the 1950s and needed to be replaced. While upgrading the boilers, the school district decided to also upgrade the system's air handling, duct work, diffusers and lighting systems.
The renovations also called for the removal of everyone's favorite mesothelioma-causing insulation material, asbestos.
The goal of the renovations was to update the school facility with a better (more fresh air was mentioned in Jordan's story), more energy-efficient system that would cost less to operate going forward.
Enter those black panels.
According to an explanation from architect CRW Architecture and Design Group, which worked on the project, while evaluating the whole project, including the mechanical HVAC upgrades at JM, "the existing building envelope was evaluated and it was determined that the curtainwall system was deteriorating and had minimal insulation."
That curtainwall was, as you noted, made up mostly of glass and maroon metal panels along with 1-inch of rigid insulation.
"The new façade strikes a balance between glass and highly insulated solid walls in order to provide adequate daylighting to classrooms and an efficient mechanical system that introduces 100% fresh air into student-occupied spaces," the folks at CRW Architecture noted.
In fact, the contractors on the project evaluated "several metal panel colors and profiles," and the black panels and profiles were selected "to provide a more modern aesthetic for the school." The architects noted that while the black panels do absorb more heat than a lighter color would absorb, the panels are separated from the interior space by highly insulated walls, and that absorbed heat does not impact the performance of the mechanical systems.
In fact, going all the way back to Jordan's article, Keane McWaters, a project manager with Knutson Construction, said, "If the curtainwall were to remain as existing, the new mechanical system would have been designed larger, so to speak, for a less efficient building envelope. Which is why it made sense to replace the curtain wall now so that the mechanical system could be sized for a more efficient building envelope."
Driving past JM the other day — I needed to see what you, Curious Neighbor, were talking about — I thought the new look out front at JM was an improvement. That big black wall does have a modern aesthetic, and it's good to know the form also has a corresponding function.
My advice: Let the new look grow on you. It's like when Mrs. Answer Man gets a new haircut. I try to have a positive attitude because, well, the change was already made and the money was spent, so there's no use complaining. Besides, she's always lovely.
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