When wildfires tore through Spokane, Washington, destroying hundreds of homes and businesses and driving projected damages past $1 billion, Pauline Flett Middle School faced a close call. The flames came within 0.16 miles of the building in northwest Spokane. The school, one of the district’s first new middle schools in three decades, opened for the school year with its campus intact.
Designed by NAC Architecture, the 141,200-square-foot facility was planned as more than a place for classes. It functions as a stabilizing civic anchor, with spaces that support students and families during disruption. At the center is a daylit Commons with learning stairs and clear sightlines to classrooms, the gym, the library, counseling, and administrative areas. Near the main entry, a Family and Community Resources Center provides food, clothing, and social support.
For mason contractors, the project’s exterior choices stand out. The building uses fire-resistant materials, including warm, locally produced brick paired with gray metal panels, a palette tied to the area’s pine forests and basalt formations. The design team kept wood elements largely inside the building, using glulam beams and interior wood finishes for warmth while keeping the exterior focused on masonry and metal.
The layout also breaks the school into three two-story academic wings organized as grade-level and curriculum “neighborhoods,” supporting smaller learning communities inside a large footprint.
Practical takeaways for crews working on similar resilience-driven projects start with details and coordination. Brick and metal panel systems demand clean transitions, clear responsibility for air and moisture barrier continuity, and disciplined sequencing so flashings, weeps, and drainage paths stay open through closeout. Locally sourced brick also brings schedule and aesthetic benefits, but it still requires early alignment on color range, sample panels, and tolerances at openings.
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