BOCA RATON, Fla.—A ceremonial groundbreaking was held in Palm Beach County in June for a new elementary school in Boca Raton. The event was attended by local educational leaders, who overturned shovels of dirt on a spot of ground that will eventually be host to a 1,000-seat elementary school for the fall of 2022.

According to the Palm Beach Post, the as-yet-unnamed school (currently known only as “O5-C” in bureaucratic parlance) has a construction budget of $30 million. For nearly two years, the location of the new school had been hosting temporary classroom facilities—donated by the city of Boca Raton—needed due to drastic overcrowding issues throughout the local school district. Those temporary classrooms were also educating students from the local Verde Elementary school as its campus was also being renovated such that it could also host middle school students prior to reopening last fall, according to the Post.

The new campus will be a three-story structure, with a neighboring administration and media center, plus an additional one-story building for arts and science labs as well as a student cafeteria.

According to the Post, state administrators in Tallahassee initially weren’t keen on adding an additional school in Boca Raton considering that so many other schools throughout the Sunshine State were under-attended even before the pandemic. However, ultimately an agreement was reached since the new middle school would serve the greater region and thus alleviate local overcrowding.

The Post reported that this school year, the district’s elementary schools have been educating over 70,000 students in the waning days of the covid-19 pandemic. Even with a drop this year from pre-pandemic rolls, the county forecasts that enrollment will be up nearly 4,000 students in the fall and will bypass pre-pandemic enrollment by the fall of 2023.

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BAYTOWN, Texas—Goose Creek Consolidated Independent School District recently broke ground on its new Elementary School #17 in Baytown, which is located within the Houston metropolitan area.

The approximately $20.5 million elementary school is one of the major components of the $335 million bond that the district passed in May 2019 to address its rapid growth. Driven by massive growth in southeast Houston, this property-wealthy district is projecting more than 2,250 new students over the next decade.

The new 102,000-square-foot facility, located on 18 acres, will comprise individual PreK-5 educational wings, a media center, a gym, playgrounds, and outdoor learning areas. The design is a prototype that the District has constructed in the recent past. The District is in the early stages of selecting a name for the school.

“Goose Creek CISD is excited to be able to adequately support the needs of our growing community with the addition of this elementary school to the north side of the District,” said Brenda Garcia, director of facilities planning and construction at Goose Creek CISD.

“The groundbreaking of Elementary School #17 marks another milestone in the district’s efforts to manage its explosive growth and provide students the educational needs of the 21st century,” said JP Grom, vice president at Lockwood Andrews & Newnam, Inc. (LAN), the firm serving as the program manager for the bond program.

PBK designed the facility and Drymalla Construction Company is the general contractor. The new elementary school is scheduled for completion in January 2022.

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COMPTON, Calif.—Construction is officially underway at the new instructional building at Compton College in Compton. DLR Group designers celebrated alongside students, faculty, staff and community members at a groundbreaking ceremony in April.

DLR Group’s design replaces existing outdated academic and modular buildings with a modern and technology-rich environment to improve the educational experience for all students. To foster an intuitive wayfinding situation for users and visitors, the design locates academic spaces on the east side and faculty offices on the west side. A main lobby connects the two sections and includes a grand staircase with areas where students can lounge and socialize in between classes. Corridors throughout the building are designed with multiple seating configurations that activate the spaces and inspire students to spend more time on campus. Warm wood tones create an inviting environment while accents of red integrate the school’s branding into the design.

“The new facility is adjacent to the Allied Health Building, which was also designed by DLR Group. Together, these two buildings form a gateway to the north end of the campus,” said DLR Group Principal Michael Tome, AIA. “Our use of complementary colors and materials, such as brick, glass, and metal panels, create a cohesive campus aesthetic.”

The 34,050-square-foot, two-story facility features lecture halls, labs, and offices. Classrooms are dedicated to behavioral sciences, English and English as a second language, foreign languages, humanities, reading, and social sciences. The $16.6 million project is financed through Measure C, a $100 million facilities bond approved by voters in November 2014 that funds new construction, and technology and safety upgrades campus wide.

DLR Group is an integrated design firm delivering architecture, engineering, interiors, planning, and building optimization for new construction, renovation, and adaptive reuse.

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HOUSTON—Tomball Independent School District (ISD) and Lockwood, Andrews & Newnam, Inc. (LAN), the district’s program manager, celebrated the groundbreaking of its new junior high school, elementary school and football stadium on May 29.

Tomball ISD—one of the fastest-growing districts in Texas—currently enrolls about 15,000 students and estimates it will have an additional 4,500 students by 2021. To accommodate this rapid growth voters approved a $275 million bond referendum, known as Bond 2017, , in November 2017.

The bond package included funds for several projects, including a new elementary school, a new junior high school, an expansion project at Tomball Memorial High School to add classrooms, a new football stadium, improvements to the baseball and softball fields, a new swim training facility, and an agricultural science facility. Other improvements include instructional technology such as laptops, Chromebooks, and document cameras as well as upgrades in the district technology infrastructure. The bond package will also allow Tomball ISD to upgrade its fleet of school buses.

“The groundbreaking of the three new facilities takes Tomball ISD one step closer to meeting its needs for the next 50 to 75 years,” said JP Grom, AIA, LAN’s vice president. “The new facilities will provide Tomball’s students the environment and infrastructure needed to succeed in the 21st century.”

The 232,000-square-foot junior high school will relieve Willow Wood Junior High School, which currently uses portable buildings as classrooms. The $43.2 million junior high school, which is scheduled for completion in fall 2021, will accommodate 900 students. The 117,000 square-foot elementary school will relieve Wildwood Elementary School, which currently uses portable buildings to teach students. The $21.1 million elementary school, which will accommodate 675 students, will be completed in fall 2020. The district’s $42.2 million new football stadium, which is scheduled to be completed in fall 2020, will seat 10,000 spectators and 3,000 parking spaces. A new community facility that will be home to a conference center, sports locker/dressing rooms, athletic training and administration areas for sporting events is also included as a part of the stadium project. The current stadium has 7,500 seats and 2,000 parking spaces.

LAN is a full-service consulting firm offering planning, engineering and program management services for the nation’s heavy civil infrastructure needs.

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GROTON, Conn. — A recent groundbreaking celebration for the new $66 million Groton Middle School was attended by state and local officials, school administrators, teachers, project leaders, and community members in Groton on April 23, 2019.

Constructed by O&G Industries (O&G),and designed by the S/L/A/M Collaborative (SLAM). the estimated completion date for the 155,000 square foot project is summer 2020.

O&G, which is headquartered in Torrington, Conn., is a general contractor, construction manager, design/builder and specialty subcontractor with nearly 100 years of experience in commercial building, power plant, road and bridge and site construction. The company serves clients in educational, healthcare, industrial manufacturing, transportation, power and municipal markets throughout the U.S.

SLAM is a national, fully-integrated, multi-disciplinary architecture firm offering architecture, planning, interior design, landscape architecture and site planning, structural engineering and construction services that focuses on higher education, K-12 public/private education, healthcare and corporate market sectors. SLAM has offices Glastonbury, Conn., as well as in Atlanta, Boston, Los Angeles, and Syracuse.

SLAM has completed programming, design, documentation, interior design, structural engineering, and cost estimating services for the school. Consulting Engineering Services, Inc. will provide mechanical, electrical and plumbing services, while Milone & MacBroom will provide site design and engineering. Guillen Technology Consultants (GTC) will provide AV/IT and security.

The new school launches the first of three projects in the Groton 2020 School Improvement Plan that will consolidate the middle school level, permitting the two existing middle schools to be repurposed as elementary schools.

Construction of Groton Middle School began in April on vacant land immediately north of the existing Fitch High School, forming a middle/high school campus.

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The design showcases a variety of academic spaces such as new classrooms and labs, as well as a new social commons area. Soft seating and group breakout areas in the social commons help break down traditional silos between the College of Humanities and Social Sciences departments and encourage increased teamwork. To capitalize on new window openings and create daylighting and campus views, office spaces for faculty and adjunct staff are planned along the building exterior. In addition, upgrades to building and technology systems create a more comfortable learning environment for students and faculty.

“Our design enhances the building’s presence off the Paseo, which is the main pedestrian circulation spine on campus,” remarked DLR Group Principal Bob Binder, AIA. “The open, transparent two-story addition also draws sunlight deep into the building, creating a bright and inviting space for students and visitors alike.”

Facility upgrades include a 5,450 SF expansion to accommodate future enrollment growth, and renovation of 45,000 SF of existing space. The $12.8 million project is expected to complete in time for the beginning of the 2020-21 academic year. The design-build team also includes H.W. Houston Construction.

DLR Group is an integrated design firm delivering architecture, engineering, interiors, planning, and building optimization for new construction, renovation, and adaptive reuse.

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DAVIS, Calif. — The University of California, Davis (UC Davis), recently broke ground officially on The Green at West Village, a campus apartment project with room for up to 3,300 students.

“I’m thrilled to celebrate with our partners this major step forward in addressing the critical need for affordable student housing,” said Chancellor Gary S. May. “Today’s groundbreaking is part of an ambitious plan to provide access to more housing for our students.”

Work on the site began in December and the first 1,000 beds are expected to be available for fall 2020; the remaining beds will be completed in time for occupancy in fall 2021. The student housing development will be part of the UC Davis West Village, which is the largest student housing construction project in the United States.

The Michaels Organization of New Jersey is the developer, with architectural services by Stantec, a global design company headquartered in Edmonton, Canada. The general contractor is CBG Building Co. of Arlington, Va.

“This student housing community demonstrates what is possible when the public sector and private sector form partnerships that leverage the strengths of both,” said Joe Coyle, president of Michaels Student Living. “An affordable, sustainable living environment for the students of UC Davis is the goal, and this groundbreaking is the first milestone toward that end.”

The Green at West Village will comprise nine four-story apartment buildings along with indoor and outdoor community space and recreational fields. A 10,000-square-foot community building will house a fitness center, multipurpose room and student support services. The project has a goal of 100 percent zero net-energy use on an annual basis.

The new undergraduate housing project is also a public-private partnership development with multiple study rooms and photovoltaic systems to provide power to the facility. The site for the construction is on approximately 34 acres to the north of the existing apartments at West Village and wraps around to the west.

The university’s original request for proposals aimed for 1,875 beds. However, UC Davis, The Michaels Organization and Stantec worked together to develop a plan that cut back on space for student vehicles, allowing more residential units.

The development is part of UC Davis’ new Long Range Development Plan, which projects the university will add 9,050 student beds and house 100 percent of any growth in student enrollment on campus.

The development is a public-private partnership between UC Davis, The Michaels Organization and Collegiate Housing Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.

When construction is complete, the apartment complex will be operated by Collegiate Housing Foundation, which will hold the ground lease from the University of California. UC Davis Student Housing and Dining Services will provide on-site program and residence support services and be responsible for leasing and marketing activities.

The first phases of apartments at UC Davis West Village opened from 2011 to 2013, providing space for 2,261 students. The West Village is the largest planned “zero net energy” community in the United States. The West Village Neighborhood includes the existing apartments managed by Greystar, Los Rios Community College, the Energy Hub, and soon, additional undergraduate housing at The Green.

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Designed by Stantec, The PVA School will be the sixth elementary school for Sheldon ISD. The new elementary school is being constructed as part of Sheldon ISD’s $285 million bond program that passed in May 2016. Last year, Sheldon ISD broke ground on its new high school.

Sheldon ISD is considered one of the fastest-growing districts in Texas. According to a June 2014 demographic study, district enrollment was projected to be around 8,300 by 2015. The district, which grew by seven percent in 2015, exceeded that projection with more than 8,500 students enrolling. By 2025, the projected student enrollment is expected to surpass 15,000.

Responding to this robust growth, voters approved the passing of a $285 million bond program with nearly 70 percent of the vote. The bond program is the largest in the district’s history. LAN is the program manager for the $285 million bond program, which includes several projects such as the PVA school.

Located southwest of Beltway 8 and Garrett Road, this new two-story PVA school, designed by Stantec, is located on a shared site near the new high school and football stadium. At the heart of the design, and integral to the building, are the PVA instructional spaces. The approximately 88,000-square-foot-facility includes a blackbox theater that converts from classroom to performance space, an art studio, music studio, dance studio and design studio. Each of these spaces are designed in a way that celebrates the unique activities that will take place inside.

Other elements of the bond program include a new 10,000-seat football stadium, new track, baseball and softball fields, and tennis courts. The bond program also includes additions and renovations to existing middle schools as well as district-wide energy management upgrades.

The new PVA school, which will be constructed by Durotech, will be completed in time for the start of the 2019 fall semester.

LAN is a full-service consulting firm offering planning, engineering and program management services.

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PROVIDENCE, R.I. — Shawmut Design and Construction joined the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) to break ground on the institute’s first new student residence in 30 years.

Designed by award-winning architect and RISD alumnus Nader Tehrani and his Boston-based firm NADAAA, the new 43,500-square-foot residence hall will house 153 students on six floors. Part of a larger quad enhancement project, it will feature amenities like workrooms, makerspace, bike storage, a shared kitchen, and outdoor terrace, and upon completion, it will allow for the phased renovations of Nickerson and Homer Halls.

“We’re incredibly proud to build RISD its first new residence facility in 30 years,” said Ron Simoneau, vice president at Shawmut. “With collaboration, paired with Shawmut’s IPD and lean construction principles, at the center of the construction and design teams approach, I am confident this project will be a success while marking a transformational moment for the campus.”

Slated to open in August 2019, the state-of-the-art project will engage an Integrated Project Delivery Method (IPD) to collaboratively fuse the talents of the team. The innovative design is influenced by thoughtful input from the campus community, including common spaces for socializing, making, reflecting and creative expression, and is tailored to meet the needs of RISD’s art and design students.

The new residence hall will be located at 60 Waterman St. on the campus’ residential quad. Site work on the new residence building began this August and included excavation and retaining wall construction. In June 2019, renovation of Nickerson Hall begins and is expected to be completed in August 2020. At that time, Homer Hall Phase 1 renovation will begin and will be completed in January 2021. Phase 2 of the Homer Hall renovation begins in January 2021 and will be complete in August of that same year.

Construction of the new residence hall is one facet of RISD’s 2015 Campus Master Plan. One update to the original plan was that RISD engaged NADAAA in the fall of 2016 for a study of the campus’ residential quad. The goals of the study were to develop 500 beds of interconnected first-year housing on the residential quad, to allow for the renovation of Homer and Nickerson Halls to address deferred maintenance while maintaining overall bed count, to create student-centered common spaces, to improve campus and city connections to the residential quad in order to maximize accessibility to and within the residential quad, to address sustainability, and to provide updated space for existing administrative offices.

NADAAA’s work over the academic year included numerous meetings with campus constituents, a student survey, monthly meetings with the campus project team, presentations to the Board of Trustees in October, February and June, development of multiple options that were reduced through the project team, Campus Master Plan Committee and Board meetings to a final scheme that was presented to the Board in June of 2017.

“We are thrilled to be able to offer a new residence hall that so fully supports the education we offer our students,” said Jack Silva, vice president of RISD Campus Services. “Planning the residence hall has been a true collaborative effort and we are pleased to be working again with alumnus Nader Tehrani and to have Shawmut as a partner in leading the project.”

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DARLINGTON COUNTY, S.C. — Darlington County School District (DCSD) recently broke ground on the first of three new elementary schools to be constructed in Darlington County.

The DCSD serves over 10,000 students in 23 schools; the district announced back in March that the new school will be built in Darlington on the site of the existing Cain Elementary School, while the other two schools will be located in Hartsville and Lamar.

District officials and the construction team extensively evaluated over 19 sites in Hartsville and eight sites in Lamar before selecting the final locations of the new schools. Lamar’s new school, which will combine Lamar Elementary School and Spaulding Elementary School, will be built on property directly across from the intersection of County Club Road and Lamar Highway. Hartsville’s new elementary school, which will combine Washington Street Elementary School and West Hartsville Elementary School, will be built on Bay Road between Bobo Newsom Highway and Westwinds Drive.

News & Press reports that the new Darlington-area elementary school will combine the student populations of Cain and Brunson-Dargan elementary schools, both of which are over 50 years old, and will be constructed on the current site of Cain Elementary.

The school board reportedly awarded an $18.3 million bid from Edcon Inc., based in Peak, S.C., which was the lowest of five bids submitted. Brownstone Construction group is currently serving as project manager. The Darlington school’s bid is reportedly the first to come before the board. It is also the only one of the three elementary schools to be built on property already owned by the district.

The three schools in Darlington, Hartsville and Lamar will be built simultaneously, according to the News & Press, with the expectation that construction will begin at Cain in September.

According to News 13, the district’s new superintendent says the new school will be built with student safety in mind.

“It shows commitment from the board for Darlington County School District, commitment to the kids and to the communities about progress, so for a new superintendent walking in the door you couldn’t ask for much better than to be able to build new schools for our kids,” said Dr. Tim Newman, DCSD superintendent, to News 13.

Reports from News 13 and News & Press contributed to this story.

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