School construction boom

Positive learning experiences linked to quality construction

By June Mathews

The number of U.S. residents is on the rise and according to the Census Bureau's latest projections much of the population is shifting southward.

During the next three decades, the South is expected to see increases amounting to 42.9 percent. In comparison, the Midwest and Northeast are expected to see increases of less than 10 percent.

This shift translates into a boom for commercial, industrial and residential construction. It also has made education a hot spot on the south central construction scene.

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And studies have shown a strong correlation exists between well-designed, well-built facilities and positive learning experiences at all levels. That means that when new school buildings or renovations to old ones are needed the construction industry can have a significant impact on education.

Here is a sampling of some of the area's largest education-related projects:

Jackson-Olin/Ensley High School, Birmingham, Ala. The Birmingham school system is in the midst of a massive effort to upgrade its educational facilities and one of the biggest projects is the new Jackson-Olin/Ensley High School.

The $31 million, 265,000-sq.-ft. building will combine the student bodies of the existing Jackson-Olin and Ensley high schools to house 1,800 students.

The school will have 90 classrooms with space for band, choir, drama and art. An auditorium, a media center, administrative offices and a 450-seat cafeteria are also part of the package.

Career education will be emphasized with auto repair, welding, business technology, health sciences and culinary arts facilities. There will also be competition and practice gyms with men's and women's locker rooms as well as a 4,500-seat football stadium to enhance the school's athletics programs.

"We'll be opening the main facility and football stadium in early summer, then we'll tear down the old facility and build a parking lot," said Leon Barkan, a project manager with construction manager Volkert & Associates of Birmingham.

Doster Construction of Birmingham, Ala., is building the school with Volkert managing the project. The building was designed by Goodwin, Mills & Cawood of Birmingham.

Arkansas State University Residence Hall Community, Jonesboro, Ark. Arkansas State University prides itself on the quality of life it offers students on every level. In housing, school administrators try to provide an environment that is safe, well-maintained, supports academics and creates a sense of belonging.

The new Residence Hall Community is a prime example of the university's commitment to those goals.

David Dancer with Baldwin & Shell Construction of Little Rock said the project consists of five three-story buildings that will furnish housing for 840 students, sophomore level and above.

"It's going to be as pretty as anything we've ever done," he said.

Each suite will have a kitchenette, a living area, two bathrooms and four private bedrooms. Each bedroom will be individually keyed and will have phone, cable TV and Internet connections.

The 225,000-sq.-ft. complex is sited on a 16-acre wooded lot in the north central part of the campus. Work began in January 2005 and is scheduled for completion this year. The project was designed by Brackett-Krennerich Architects of Jonesboro.

Bentonville High School Addition, phase two, Bentonville, Ark. Sam Walton's hometown is booming and the late Wal-Mart founder might be surprised at some of the changes. A lot of those changes are taking place at Bentonville High School. As the city grows so does the number of students, and accommodating them has required expansion.

Joe Haynie, director of facilities for Bentonville Public Schools, said the system is growing at the rate of more than 1,000 students per year. At the beginning of each of the past two school years, a new elementary school opened. A third is on the drawing board.

A middle school is currently under construction and a new high school will be next on the district's building agenda.

"We're one of the fastest-growing districts in Arkansas," he said. "At this rate, we're going to max out this high school in a couple of years."

Haynie said the first expansion phase added 14 classrooms and two gymnasiums. The second phase involves the construction of a separate 300,000-sq.-ft. building for a total of 600,000 sq. ft. for the whole facility. The ninth and 10th grades will occupy the original building while the 11th and 12th grades will occupy the new space.

Todd Ketterman, a project manager with Crossland Construction of Rogers, Ark., said the new building has its own cafeteria and other separate accommodations, except for a gym. The building is steel-framed with a masonry/metal panel veneer.

"It's a really nice building," he said. "I've done a lot of school projects and this is the nicest one I've been involved with."

The $20 million project began in November 2004 and is scheduled for completion in time for the 2006-07 school year.

Horn Lake High School, Horn Lake, Miss. One of the most rapidly growing parts of the Memphis metropolitan area is DeSoto County, Miss. Historically an agricultural community, DeSoto County has in recent years transitioned to a more urban economy.

Due to the area's tremendous growth, the DeSoto County School Board announced a massive building program in 2004. The overall plan calls for major renovations and additions to existing schools along with the construction of 10 new ones.

One of those schools is a new Horn Lake High School.

"This school is one of three new high schools being built," said Riki Jackson, community relations, DeSoto County Schools. "These schools are beautiful and they are well-built but not extravagant. They're going to be state-of-the-art."

Contractor for the Horn Lake High School project is Webb Building Corp. of Memphis. Architectural services are being provided by Allen & Hoshall, also of Memphis.

Basic Clinical Sciences Building, University of Tennessee at Memphis. Education and research go hand-in-hand, particularly in the field of medicine. Providing top-notch facilities designed and built to serve both purposes can ultimately improve the health and well being of millions of people.

Such functionality is the goal for the Basic/Clinical Sciences Building being built at the University of Tennessee at Memphis. Work began on the four-story 102,000-sq.-ft. building in February 2005.

"It's a basic clinical/research facility, predominantly a laboratory facility," said Manning Pletz of Flintco Inc., the general contractor on the project. "It's a structural-steel construction with brick precast and metal-panel veneer. There's nothing really unusual about it."

There is one exception, said architect Rob Horrell of The Horrell Group. >> Although the design and construction of the building is fairly straightforward, an unusual element was needed - living quarters for laboratory mice. So a vivarium, or habitat for small animals, was included in the design.

"Other than that, it's just a basic laboratory with office and meeting space," Horrell said.

The $20.5 million facility is scheduled for completion in August.

Catholic High School Cafeteria Complex, New Iberia, La. When students at Catholic High School in New Iberia returned to school this year, a new cafeteria complex awaited them. The project is part of a multiphase plan for improvements at the school.

"We did some classrooms about two years ago," said Trent Descant of M.D. Descant Inc. of Bunkie, La., the project's general contractor. "We completed this one in August and down the line I believe some additional work is planned."

The cafeteria project involved a new kitchen, dining area, common area and restroom facilities. Outdoors, an extensive amount of canopies and sidewalks were installed to connect the cafeteria area to existing facilities.

Descant said one of the most striking features of the project is the vaulted roof system with a wood ceiling over the dining area. A built-up roof covers the kitchen and common areas.

The architect for the $1.8 million project was Bate/Robbins Inc. of New Iberia.

Louisiana State University Music and Dramatic Arts Building, Baton Rouge, La. In 2002, Louisiana State University's Board of Supervisors approved a plan to renovate the Music and Dramatic Arts Building.

In August, the renovations began. The project will restore the historic Shaver Theater and lobby to its original art deco grandeur.

Renovations will include aesthetic and technical improvements to classrooms and rehearsal areas and upgrades to heating ventilation and air conditioning components. Safety improvements are also part of the plan.

Although many current students won't benefit from the restoration (the project won't be completed for another year or two), the 70-year-old facility should be in tip-top shape for future students for many years to come.

The $21 million project is being designed by HMS Architects of New Orleans. The building contractor is Percy J. Matherne of Baton Rouge.