Middle School Addition
Additional Info
Award Winner : Ramtech Building Systems, Inc.
Architectural Excellence : This new classroom building was built as a free-standing addition to a charter school campus. The site is along a heavily trafficked street in an upscale residential neighborhood. The building was required to blend with the surrounding structures, yet comply with city ordinances for materials and elevation requirements mandated for commercial structures. The building’s longitudinal axis was perpendicular to the street so massing at the street entry was critical. This was accomplished through a covered entry assembly and ramp leading to the sidewalk. Ramtech utilized both masonry and stucco for the exterior cladding to provide aesthetic appeal. This combined with a series of vertical and horizontal articulations to the parapet wall construction satisfied the City’s ordinances and blended seamlessly with the adjoining structures. The Type V-b sprinkled layout added ten classrooms and the necessary ancillary spaces. The school chose low maintenance finishes throughout the building.
Cost Energy Effectiveness : As with most charter schools, the project budget was extremely tight. The owner was looking for a 50-year building that provided an enriched learning environment, was economical to operate, would meet applicable ordinances, and could deliver significant ROI. Early in the project, serious consideration was given to varying layouts and materials. Throughout the design-build process, Ramtech’s Estimators played a key role by giving real-time cost updates to the various options being discussed. This synergy guided all the project stakeholders to the most cost-effective decisions during the design and specification portion of the project. Once the construction phase kicked-off, the normal attributes of PMC came to the forefront, notably the cost savings attained through fabrication of the building in a controlled environment and a highly compressed construction schedule.
Design Firm Name : n/a
Engineering Firm Name : Bannister Civil Engineering
Green Building Description : The building is designed for compliance with the 2009 International Energy Conservation Code. Insulation values incorporated into the structure were R-19 for the floors and walls and R-30 rigid with thermal bridging for the roof. A white TPO single ply membrane roofing material was used to aid in heat reflectivity. Natural day-lighting was achieved with a generous amount of low-e glazing in each classroom. The HVAC consists of high EER split system heat pumps. The HVAC controls were tied to the existing campus-wide energy management control system, and the zoning was arranged to allow shut-downs and setbacks of certain areas within the building envelope. Water conserving fixtures were used throughout the facility, but due to budget constraints the owner did not pursue LEED certification.
Occupied Date : 7/10/2015
Owner Firm Name : Arlington Classics Academy
Production Start Date : 2/9/2015
Project Location City : Arlington
Project Location State Name : TX
Technical Innovation : Using modules of various lengths, Ramtech achieved the horizontal articulations mandated by the City. This PMC building was placed on a poured grade beam foundation supported by 20’ drilled under-reamed piers. To provide a true 50-year floor with the acoustical massing for a learning environment, a 1” self-leveling concrete topping rated at 3,500 psi was applied over the plywood decking before finishes were installed. The building utilizes steel clear-span trusses throughout allowing unlimited future reconfiguration of the space. The building systems integration between the various structures on the campus posed a considerable challenge. Data, communication, fire alarm, fire sprinkler, and HVAC controls all required extensive rework with limited down-time during the system initiation.
Total Square Feet : 9856