Southeast Polk New 6-7 Middle School

The new Southeast Polk Middle School rises from a 66 acre greenfield site as a forward thinking home for more than 1,000 sixth and seventh grade students. Spanning 210,000 square feet across two stories, the school was designed to support both academic excellence and student well being through a balance of innovative learning spaces, natural light, and modern amenities.

Inside, more than 70 state of the art classrooms and learning environments are supported by world class science labs, music and art rooms, robotics and 3D printing labs, and a vibrant library and media center. Athletic and wellness spaces include three full length basketball courts with stadium seating, locker rooms, a wrestling room, and a fully equipped weight room, creating a complete middle school experience under one roof. A large skylight system and expansive curtain wall areas flood the interior with daylight, reinforcing an inviting atmosphere where students can focus, collaborate, and thrive.

Structurally, the building is anchored by load bearing architectural precast panels, steel columns and beams, steel roof joists, two structural CMU cores, and slab on deck construction. The exterior expression blends multiple precast panel profiles with 10,000 square feet of curtain wall glazing, yellow metal panels, and a white PVC roof, resulting in a sleek, contemporary design. The surrounding site features two large parking lots totaling 340 stalls and five stormwater management basins, thoughtfully integrated to support both functionality and long term sustainability. Together, these elements create a modern middle school campus designed to serve students and the community for decades to come.

WeitzWay

The project’s commitment to safety was unwavering. Over two and half years the project had zero injuries. That feat alone is one that we are extremely proud of for a job of this size and duration. Our team’s adherence to strict safety protocols, including our executive safety program and Nothing Hits the Floor principles, kept every individual on-site safe throughout the project. One unique safety goal we set on this project was to get the Prime Contractor executives involved to drive safety from an executive level on down. We held multiple executive safety summits where we invited executives from the Prime Contractors to meet on site and discuss what we could do to make this project successful from a safety perspective for each of them. The top priority each day was to always ensure that every worker was able to return home just as they had shown up to work, safe and healthy.