MichaelMarley recalls when Tri-City school officials cautionedarchitects to avoid anything fanciful in their designs for newbuildings. Districts need voterapproval to raise taxes to build and remodel schools. Theyfeared “fancy” would come across as “wasteful.”Decision-makers reliedon plain buildings to convey stability andfrugality, said Marley, principal with CKJT Architects, a Kennewick firmfocused on public sector projects. It’s an ethos thatinformed much of the region’s development but obscures the architecturalgems that dot the...