CROFT & Associates’ Post

Exciting news! Benton Elementary School underwent a complete renovation this summer, resulting in a brighter and more comfortable environment for teachers and students.  The original building, along with the oldest two additions, received a full HVAC renovation, new lighting, ceilings, and roof. The HVAC updates included replacing old rooftop and VAV units, adding new DOAS units for ventilation and new hydronic ceiling cassettes to condition the classrooms.  The front offices are now served by a VRF system using Samsung HVAC’s 360 degree cassettes and new controls integrate all HVAC and lighting throughout the school.  Bi-level ceilings were removed and replaced with a more spacious, constant ceiling.  Kudos to USD259 for investing in the comfort and well-being of their students and staff! Project Partners: Alloy Architecture Mauler Engineering, LLC Wichita Public Schools - USD259 #USD259 #WichitaPublicSchools #Education #BentonElementary #HVACimprovement #MEPengineers #MEPdesigners #MEP #WichitaKansas #KansasEngineers #IntegratedConsultingEngineers

'In teaching buildings, three key considerations are internal air quality (nobody wants sleepy pupils), acoustics (reverberation and sound transfer), and balancing privacy and lack of distraction with child safeguarding'. NVB Architects Building Design.

It’s estimated there are over 7,000 fires on school grounds annually… So, fire and life safety are prime concerns when designing safer schools. In his latest Building Design+Construction Media blog, Devin Bowman, General Manager, TGP, explains the difference between fire ratings, testing standards and how to plan multifunctional, fire-rated glazing systems. Read this and Devin’s other blogs to learn more about safer school design: https://lnkd.in/gjubtWHK

Swapping a clay-fired brick for a stone brick saves 86% of the embodied carbon. This stone brick is stronger (60N), more resilient (100yrs+) has the same buildability and costs the same as a decent facing brick…so why wouldn’t you make this very simple change? Bravo to ARA Architects, BMR Construction, and the champions at Mayfield School for making a big impact with their material choices. Architects, structural engineers and builders across the UK are choosing and using stone bricks: many more projects like this are in the works…reserve yours today. Switch your brick to a better brick, switch your brick to a #stonebrick. #decarbonize Valérie Bergeron

'Schools with dangerous concrete race to replan start of term.' Seems bizarre that anyone would design and build a school using materials that will only last for 30 years! I suppose those architects & building companies are retired by now... not their problem! 'This is a lightweight "bubbly" form of concrete used widely between the 1950s and mid-1990s - usually in the form of panels on flat roofs, as well as occasionally in pitched roofs, floors and walls. It has a lifespan of around 30 years.' https://lnkd.in/efyxNH_2

Uniform When we use this word or phrase, we imagine a school, factory, security, or nurse's uniform. Today, out of the blue, I got to know the new meaning of the same word. Rather, today I actually came to know how apartments' concepts were formed in the first place. I mean, I am the proud daughter of one of the well-known civil engineers, and hence I was brought up with all those construction-related words only: best utilisation of space, vertical growth, affordable housing, secured, maintenance by society, and the list is huge. In addition to that, barring a very few apartment complexes, all others look alike. All flats are of the matching measurements, the same built, the identical structure, and what not, uniform in nature. In school, every child is in the same uniform; they look the same from afar or from the outside, but every student in the same uniform is truly and uniquely different from within. The uniform concept in school is primary to imbibe similarity and equality in everyone at a very early stage, so that they should focus on studies, games, and overall development. Similarly, all apartments are built the same way, all are equal, which means owners think alike, and hence now neighbours who are staying in harmony. But still, interiors and their maintenance are different. See the similarity in apartment and student's uniformity; from within, they are themselves extraordinarily distinct.

Learning space geography supports all personalities, activities, and temperaments. Students are constantly switching between being tense and relaxed throughout the day – to thrive in these opposing states, they need appropriate spaces in equal measure. In addition to areas that foster movement, schools need nooks and corners students can seek out when they need quiet time. Sometimes this is achieved through creating nooks constructed as a part of the building millwork, other times it can be achieved with creative furniture solutions set up in a room or hallway. When a school or architecture firm is unable to include these fun spaces in their millwork packages due to costs, VS America’s Leaf elements can be the perfect solution – the system is more cost-effective and can be moved throughout the entire building as needs change and evolve. Call McKinney Office Supply at (972)-562-5020 to order today! #McKinneyOfficeSupply #McKinney #TX #McKinneyTX #office #supplies #VS #VSAmerica #learning #students #change #school #furniture #classroom #education

The lifespan of a school campus is a process of continual evolution. As needs change, communities grow, educational delivery adapts, and facilities age, buildings will eventually be added, and others will be removed or consolidated. All school districts reach a point where they are faced with deciding whether to replace or modernize buildings. These are challenging inflection points with long-term implications across various factors, including cost, amenities, program and curriculum delivery, the sustainable use of resources, and safety. How do you know whether to modernize or replace a campus building? Read on as #hmcarchitects Principal in Charge Virginia Marquardt and Design Principal Brian Nichols explore this important topic. https://lnkd.in/gM_sKmz6 #designforgood #schoolfacilities #architecture #modernizevsreplace #buildingevolution #campuslife

Learning space geography supports all personalities, activities, and temperaments. Students are constantly switching between being tense and relaxed throughout the day – to thrive in these opposing states, they need appropriate spaces in equal measure. In addition to areas that foster movement, schools need nooks and corners students can seek out when they need quiet time. Sometimes this is achieved through creating nooks constructed as a part of the building millwork, other times it can be achieved with creative furniture solutions set up in a room or hallway. When a school or architecture firm is unable to include these fun spaces in their millwork packages due to costs, VS America’s Leaf elements can be the perfect solution – the system is more cost-effective and can be moved throughout the entire building as needs change and evolve.  Call Plano Office Supply at (972)-424-8561 to order today! #PlanoOfficeSupply #Plano #TX #PlanoTX #office #supplies #officesupplies #VS #VSAmerica #learning #students #change #school #furniture #classroom #education

Case Study: The University of Texas at Austin 🏗 Architect: Overland Partners #Architects 🚪 Product: 20 Won-Door FireGuard doors   In a project focused on efficiency and flexibility, 20 Won-Door FireGuard doors play an essential and welcome role. The doors used in the six-story University of Texas Austin College of Liberal Arts Building fit in seamlessly as they protect the fire stairs (and most importantly, the lives of students and staff!). The doors are out of sight, helping to create an aesthetically pleasing look while still providing the life safety function such a venture demands. #wondoors #firedoors #firesafety #studentsafety