West ISD Interim Campus
Additional Info
Award Winner : Ramtech Building Systems, Inc.
Architectural Excellence : On April 17, 2013 in the small central Texas community of West a fire broke out at the local fertilizer plant. The first responders were met with a raging fire that was dangerously close to dry bulk storage bins containing ammonium nitrate. As the fire spread, it resulted in a devastating explosion killing 15 of the first responders and leveling an area almost one-quarter mile in diameter. Within the blast zone were the high school and middle school buildings for the West ISD. The middle school was extensively damaged and had to be demolished, while the high school initially appeared to have survived. The subsequent engineering evaluation however, revealed internal structural problems making the building unsafe for occupancy. To meet the August 26, 2013 deadline to have both the middle and high school students back in their own classrooms for the start of the new school year, West ISD opted to build a modular campus to provide space while new facilities are designed and constructed.
Cost Energy Effectiveness : To meet the deadline established by school administrators allowing the kids to be attending class on opening day of the school year, an extraordinary effort was required by all of the design, fabrication and construction teams. The factory production started on July 25, 2013 with the first modules arriving to the site on August 2, 2013. The deadline of August 26, 2013 allowed for 32 days of fabrication and 24 days for delivery and installation. During this same time, utilities were being extended and connected, kitchen equipment placed, fire alarm and communications systems installed, as well as construction of the elevated walkways and furniture move-in. Fabricating and constructing the 69,776 square feet that was ready for occupancy in 32 days is unheard of. The compressed schedule reduced the project’s general conditions by over 60%, while the 24-month operating lease allowed the district to only pay for the period of use while their permanent facilities are being rebuilt.
Design Firm Name : Huckabee Architects
Occupied Date : 8/26/2013
Production Start Date : 7/25/2013
Project Location City : West
Project Location State Name : TX
Technical Innovation : Due to delays associated with the FEMA funding and insurance investigations, a full contractual release for design and construction was not received until May 21, 2013. Ramtech worked with Huckabee Architects to design a fully functioning campus to accommodate more than 1,000 students. The modular building campus is where the middle school once stood and required full site development to accommodate the multiple building configuration. The campus features (3) ten classroom wings, (4) combination computer/science labs, (2) physical education locker buildings, (4) toilet trailers, cafeteria, life skills building, an administrative office building and a band hall. All of the buildings required functional and distinctive custom floor plans, which were interconnected with elevated covered walkways. The temporary nature of the project is ideal for modular construction, allowing the buildings to be removed and re-purposed once the permanent schools are completed.
Total Square Feet : 69776
Category : Relocatable: Education: over 10,000 sq. ft.