Fora Landscape Architects’ Post

America’s Finest Charter School Gets a Makeover CONSTRUCTION: $32M Renovation Adds Classrooms, Updates Systems BY RAY HUARD A Mount Hope charter school is undergoing a $32 million, whole-site renovation by Erickson-Hall Construction Co. of Escondido that will give the more than 50-year-old school a new face and new classrooms. Original designs for the work on America’s Finest Charter School, 730 45th St., came in way over the $40 million budgeted by the San Diego Unified School District, but the cost was brought down to $32 million by reconfiguring the project and adjusting the construction timetable, said Mat Gates, president of Erickson-Hall, an employee-owned company. The school will gain a 25,793-square-foot, two-story elementary classroom building and the project will include renovation of a 9,865-square-foot middle school building, a new kindergarten playground, removal of 10 portable classrooms, new upper-level play areas, a turf field, and ornamental fencing. “It’s really creating a new front entrance to the campus. They’re going to have new security fencing and a walkway where you go through the administrative office before you get onto the campus. It’s really going to give it a facelift as well as a logical path of (foot) traffic,” Gates said. “When we finish the new building, we’ll be shifting the administrative offices to the new building.” OBR Architects based in North Park designed the renovation. The school is wedged into an especially small site – 40,000 square feet – which makes the project particularly challenging with no room to store materials during construction, according to Gates. https://lnkd.in/gaKFZXsg #commercialrealestate #construction #renovation #schools #charterschools

Looking for a creative strategy to reuse an old school building? As student expectations evolve, educational institutions and school boards face the challenge of updating older buildings. When these buildings reach their limits, they may face demolition or remain unused. However, demolishing beloved school structures can be expensive and disruptive. Consequently, many institutions and communities are revitalizing their facilities through adaptive reuse, breathing new life into their buildings while aligning with their missions. Why Consider Adaptive Reuse? Reviving older school buildings presents challenges but offers numerous benefits: 1. Sustainability: Adaptive reuse aligns with sustainability goals by utilizing existing structures. 2. Aesthetics: Preserving original building aesthetics maintains campus character without costly reconstruction. 3 Alumni Engagement: Repurposing old buildings can enhance alumni support and potentially attract project funding. 4. Less Disruption: Adaptive reuse often requires less construction time, minimizing disruptions to teaching and recruitment. Options for Renovating Old School Buildings Working with architects can unlock the potential of older buildings for adaptive reuse. Many older structures naturally support flexible spaces, offering wide spans for versatile layouts. Flex spaces can accommodate various activities, from events to private gatherings, showcasing the building's architectural charm. Ouachita Parish School Board is a great example of a converting a former junior high into a consolidated department hub, creating open environments with natural light. While renovations can be quicker, they require addressing challenges such as asbestos mitigation, code upgrades, accessibility, energy performance, and historic preservation. Historic rehabilitation tax credits can provide financial support but come with stringent guidelines. Adaptive reuse isn't suitable for every project, but partnering with the right design team can expand possibilities for your old school building. Contact TBA Studio to explore adaptive reuse options and reimagine the role of your older structures.

The Oceanside Unified School District set a goal of designing, obtaining DSA approval, and demolishing existing and installing new playgrounds at 11 schools, procuring and installing new shade structures at 17 schools, and in addition, two new High School track and field installations, and other site and school improvements over the 2023 summer break. This herculean effort was filled with supply chain issues, DSA requirements for paths of travel, and procurement challenges considering that all school districts typically schedule their improvements during the summer break. The California Construction Management, Inc. & MAAS Companies, Inc. Joint Venture rolled up their sleeves and working day and night, rolled out a plan that allowed for the prioritization of work-based school operations impacts and population and working collaboratively with design teams and contractors was able to put in place the prioritized projects. The power of teamwork can never be underestimated. 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗰𝗸 & 𝗙𝗶𝗲𝗹𝗱 𝗥𝗲𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 The team successfully delivered two on-time projects requiring complete overhauls of the existing fields of El Camino & Oceanside High Schools. Each site saw the old fields ripped up, rolled out, and moved out the door to make way for brand-new play surfacing. The tracks were ground down, re-glued, resurfaced, and striped to complete the design. Despite an aggressive timeline, no games were missed, including El Camino's much-anticipated home opener, hosting Tafuna High School, from American Samoa. 𝗣𝗹𝗮𝘆𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝘀 & 𝗦𝗵𝗮𝗱𝗲 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲𝘀 The meat and potatoes of the undertaking spearheaded by MAAS this summer was the installation of playgrounds and/or shade structures at 17 school sites. Tasked with managing three bid packages, with three separate contractors, four different architects, and five DSA inspectors, the experienced MAAS team at OUSD masterfully juggled all moving parts this summer. The result, was worth the effort, as these are now happily occupied by the schools.

An interesting article addressing modular prefabricated construction for schools. While this article focused heavily on the use of panelized modular as opposed to portable, complex or volumetric construction solutions, all 4 approaches have a place in addressing temporary and permanent expansions to educational facilities. As for the comment that “portables have a reputation for being industrial-looking” that can be true but there is no reason it has to be. It all comes down to what the school divisions purchasing the buildings want and (more importantly) are willing to pay for. #modular #classrooms #offsiteconstruction

Mass Timber in School Design & Construction: 5 Examples

4 ways schools are rethinking building design

NEWS: Bowdoin College has opened a sustainably designed complex in Brunswick that includes the John and Lile Gibbons Center for Arctic Studies and Barry Mills Hall. Designed by HGA, the two structures represent the first commercially scaled mass timber buildings in the state of Maine. The $37 million project offers a total of 46,000 sf of teaching, research, and museum space. The 16,500-sf Gibbons Center for Arctic Studies provides interactive teaching and laboratory spaces where faculty, students, and visiting researchers can explore the region's unique environmental conditions and challenges. This cross-disciplinary hub also houses the Peary-MacMillan Arctic Museum with modern galleries and integrated support areas. A robust, high-performance envelope and rigorous environmental controls allow sensitive artifacts to be safely displayed and protected. Ace Construction Services installed a sophisticated acoustical ceiling with accompanying wall panels to optimize occupant comfort. Spanning 29,500 sf, Barry Mills Hall accommodates the Department of Anthropology and the Department of Digital and Computational Studies. Featuring a vaulted event space for up to 300 people, the two-story facility includes four active learning classrooms, 12 faculty offices, a 60-seat cinema, and huddle rooms for student collaboration. Extensive glazing transmits natural light to interior spaces, while operable windows supply natural ventilation to promote health and wellbeing. The HGA-engineered mass timber structural system reduces the buildings’ embodied carbon footprint by approximately 75 percent as compared to a traditional steel structure. Linked by an underground tunnel, the all-electric development is decoupled from the campus steam plant and operates using 100 percent renewable clean energy provided by Bowdoin College’s nearby photovoltaic array. The project team included acoustic and audiovisual designer Acentech, civil engineer Sebago Technics, landscape designer STEPHEN STIMSON & ASSOCIATES LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTS, INC, and mass timber supplier South County Post & Beam, Inc.. Consigli Construction Co., Inc. Construction broke ground in April 2021 on both facilities, which were dedicated in spring of 2023. ________________ Tradeline 2024 Spring Conference Schedule: Research Facilities 2024 (April 8-9 in Boston) University Science & Engineering Facilities 2024 SPRING (April 11-12 in Boston) University Facilities 2024 (May 6-7 in San Diego) MORE INFO HERE: https://lnkd.in/gJGGvp_f _________________ https://lnkd.in/gH4QadZR #highereducation #scienceandtechnology #building #construction #masstimber #architecture #projectmanagement

MiraCosta Plans $53.4M ASE Program Building EDUCATION: Project Aims to Help Historically Marginalized Students BY RAY HUARD MiraCosta College is planning a $53.4 million construction project on its Oceanside campus to create an academic hub for its communications program and expand services for historically marginalized groups. The project will include space for the college’s Academic Success and Equality (ASE) programs that represent groups such as the Black Resource Center, La Raza, PUENTE, UPRISE and LGBTQIA+. Still in the design phase, the project entails renovating an existing 23,000-square-foot building and an existing 5,400-square-foot building and razing and replacing four other aging buildings that date back to the 1960s when MiraCosta opened, said Megan Evenary, project manager for Kitchell, the firm overseeing the project. About 8,000 square feet of the larger building is being renovated, along with all of the smaller building. “They’re not going to be completely redone. It’s just that the interiors will be renovated,” said Wendy Stewart, interim assist vice president and chief inclusion, diversity, equity and accessibility officer at MiraCosta. A new single-story building of 30,000 square feet is planned to replace those that are demolished, Evenary said. “We’re basically taking out the originals to the campus and we’re replacing them with a much more modern building that is going to have active solar and natural ventilation,” Evenary said, adding that the two renovated buildings and the new one will be clustered around a courtyard with room for food trucks, special events such as movie nights, and a gathering spot for students. Construction on the project is scheduled to start in the fall of 2024, pending approval from the Division of the State Architect. Gensler is the architect, and Gensler is working closely with student and faculty representatives in designing the project. Each of the individual spaces will have a different look as part of the college’s Social Justice and Equity Centers and is meant to reflect the student group it will serve. “We really have ensured that our students have a strong voice in this process,” Stewart said. “We don’t just want to design these centers ourselves. We want to hear from students who will be served, what do you want in these centers, what colors do you want to see in there?” https://lnkd.in/gfcp3RER #construction #development #commercialrealestate #education #college #miracosta #communitycollege #diversity

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