Stratford, Iowa

Project Manager: Karla Engleen

Superintendent: Ken Corbin

Architectural Firm: RAPM, Inc.

Contract Amount: $887,772.00

Contract Type: Separate Prime General Contract (Mechanical, Electrical, Carpeting, Casework by Other Separate Prime Contracts)

Date Completed: October 1999

Project Description:

The overall project was undertaken in order to replace an early 1900’s building that had been condemned and was no longer useable.  The existing building had a gymnasium wing to the east and a classroom wing to the west that had been added in the 1950’s.  The basic idea of the project was to construct a new wing north of the building to be razed and proceeding east, then turning south to connect the classroom wing to the gymnasium wing.  This, then, allowed for the demolition of the existing building.

The new wing houses a new media center, special education classroom space, and a new lunchroom and kitchen along with connecting corridors to the two remaining existing wings.  A series of ramps was implemented in the new corridors to accommodate for grade changes on the site between the two wings making the facility fully accessible (with the exception of the stage).  The corridors are run along the front of the new wing with exposed sloping ceilings and metal roofing along with windows providing ample natural light.  

The new media center is attached to a well-equipped multi-station computer laboratory creating a state of the art early education learning facility.  Renovation of the existing administration area created a more comfortable working environment for the staff.  The existing classrooms were refinished to provide a fresher educational setting.  Much needed special education space facilitates better attention to those children with special needs.  A well lit, spacious lunchroom with a modern kitchen allows for multiple uses including community functions.  The combination of brick masonry, EIFS, and the brightly colored metal roofing provide a stunning appearance to the building that blends well with the existing architecture.

Unusual or Unique Features:

The close proximity of the new wing to the existing facility that was to be demolished presented numerous challenges.  Further complicating the scenario was the fact that the site was very small with extremely limited access.  A careful plan of construction was necessary to essentially “build ourselves out of the site.”   The multiple levels of the facility required great attention to detail to prevent excessive slopes in the ramp areas causing potential problems with the ADA. 

Another problem was that the new wing had to be completed prior to the demolition of the condemned building.  This meant that the new addition had to be protected from damage from falling debris resulting from the demolition.  In addition, it meant that the connecting link to the gymnasium wing could not be constructed until the old building had been entirely razed.  This necessitated a great deal of temporary construction at the new wing until the connector could be constructed.

The project was divided into separate prime contracts for the General Construction, Mechanical, Electrical, Casework, Carpeting, and Building Demolition.  The separate prime contracts required a great deal of coordination to properly manage the differing phases of work.