MIDLOTHIAN, Tex.—Construction management firm Adolfson & Peterson (AP) has completed modifications to Midlothian Independent School District’s (MISD) Heritage High School.

Commencing in the summer of 2020, the $53 million worth of renovations included redesigning a two-story wing at Heritage to entail a fine arts complex, storm shelter, gym facility and science laboratories.  All told, that meant AP had to add 185,000 square feet of space to the high school, which also included a cafeteria and expanded workout space and turf field.

AP worked in conjunction with Texas’s own VLK Architects at Midlothian.

“Completing this expansion during the fall semester adds to the enthusiasm for the whole community,” Zack Rogers, AP’s vice president and project executive, said in a recent news release about work at Midlothian.  “Students are welcomed by a new entrance that immediately catches your attention with its large radiused cast stone wall, colored concrete, brick pavers and landscaping in addition to the new classroom wing.

“The new fine arts complex and athletics fields will set up Heritage High School students for success as they prepare for their futures.”

MISD was founded in 1906 and now hosts nearly 10,000 students and over 1,000 employees at the district’s 12 campuses.

AP’s other recent Lone Star educational projects include the Arts and Athletics Complex for the Arlington ISD and an educational facility for the Fort Worth ISD.  The firm has also recently commenced work expanding Midland College.  AP isranked among Engineering News Record’s Top 100 Contractors list.

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SCOTTSDALE, Ariz.—General contracting and construction management company Adolfson & Peterson has worked in concert with charter school operator Candeo Schools on a revision to Candeo North Scottsdale, located in Phoenix’s greater metropolitan area.

The renovation and expansion of Candeo North Scottsdale, located at 7191 Ashler Hills Dr., entailed a two-phased approach necessary to both add new educational space as well as update older classrooms and facilities on the campus. Adolfson & Peterson built two new buildings entirely from scratch, as well as renovated existing buildings. The general contractor also gave some nip-tuck treatment to recreation areas and various other outdoor spaces used by students, visitors and staff.

The first phase of work at Candeo North encompassed extensive updating to the school’s administrative building. Adolfson & Peterson had to renovate the building’s concrete floors, which needed to be sealed and painted to make them as moisture-proof as possible. Other Phase I work entailed upgrading the school’s courtyard and expanding its playground, as well as landscaping the parking lot.

Phase II labors entailed the two new buildings themselves. One was a 7,902-square-foot edifice that will be home to a half-dozen classrooms, lockers, break rooms and storage areas. The second building, encompassing 2,470 square feet, contains three up-to-date classrooms, a mechanical room, electrical closet and “fire riser” room. On the exterior, Adolfson & Peterson also fashioned a covered courtyard as part and parcel of the second phase.

SPS+ Architects, based in Scottsdale, designed the school’s renovations and new buildings.

The sizzling summer sun caused several delays, likely for worker safety. Furthermore, the ongoing pandemic required extra cautions to ensure the safety at the jobsite for workers. However, Adolfson & Peterson was still able to bring in the project months ahead of deadline.

Scott Salyer, vice president of operations for Adolfson & Peterson, said that his firm has worked with Candeo Schools on various other projects throughout the years, and thus there was a common aim to surmount such obstacles.

“When the pandemic hit, we collaborated closely with Candeo Schools, SPS+ Architects and local subcontractors to problem-solve many of the issues that other projects were experiencing,” Salyer said. “We’re pleased with the outcome and confident the school’s additions and renovations leave it fully equipped to effectively educate and accommodate students in one of the fastest-growing suburbs of Phoenix.”

“Our work with Adolfson & Peterson has been a smooth and impressive experience,” added Dr. Stephanie Musser, founder and CEO of Candeo Schools. “The care and responsiveness they have shown in meeting our school’s goals has been readily apparent from the start. The result is a customized, beautiful campus tailored to the needs of our community and our education program.”

Adolfson & Peterson has operated in the Phoenix area for decades. Their other local school construction projects include the Academies of Math and Science, BASIS Charter Schools throughout the Valley, Williams Field High School and the Maricopa Institute of Technology.

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CASPER, Wyo.—The restoration of the nearly century-old Natrona County High School in Casper has been completed.

Originally designed to house both Casper College and Natrona County High School, the Collegiate Gothic-inspired complex was constructed between 1924 and 1927 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

This project included a complete renovation of the existing 145,000-square-feet historic building and a 137,000-square-feet addition. To ensure continued occupancy during construction, the project was divided into six phases of construction spanning nearly five years.

Adolfson & Peterson (AP) Construction was the general contractor, and Bassetti Architects was the architect.

This impressive project included removing one-third of the historic concrete structure, while keeping the remaining structure intact; installing new foundations in the historic theater; installing a new elevator shaft through the existing concrete structures; and using swing stages suspended from the roofs to complete the masonry and terracotta restoration.

“The restoration of NCHS was shaped by three overarching ideas: a shift in the educational approach focused on career-based learning opportunities; upgrades to the historic campus targeting preservation, resilience and vitality; and safe continuous occupancy for students and staff,” explains Lorne McConachie, principal at Bassetti Architects.

The design takes its inspiration from the district’s guiding principles—a culture of empowerment, inventive learning settings, collaborative learning environments, a memorable campus and meaningful community partnerships.

The revitalized 22.5-acre school campus is organized around the four career academies with shared facilities (historic theatre, student commons, library and physical education) that are aligned through the center of the building.

The restoration preserved the historic facades of the landmark structure to the south and created a major, contextually responsive addition to the north. The entire building was organized around a protected inner courtyard with new secure entries located at the gaskets between historic and new construction. The renovation and additions have transformed the landmark school into a vibrant 21^st-century learning environment serving the academic, physical, and social well-being of students and staff, while simultaneously enhancing the building’s presence within the community.

The most substantial challenge was the historic theater. Because it was simply too small a volume for proper acoustics, the design solution demanded opening the bays of the old ceiling to expand the room into the interstitial roof truss area above the auditorium and enhance the balance of sound within it. An acoustically transparent fabric was stretched across the open ceiling bays to replicate the original plaster ceiling finish. Additionally, catwalks laid out in the open roof trusses were able to support critical lighting locations.

To execute the work, a scaffold dance floor system that took three weeks to install was used. Once installed, crews took molds of historic cornices that run across the theater, as well as the historic proscenium column, so they could be replicated. The old plaster ceiling was removed, including asbestos and popcorn texture. AP installed structural steel for the new catwalk systems and HVAC, mechanical and plumbing. Perfect execution was critical as there was no time to reinstall the scaffolding system.

The revised historic auditorium is home for statewide competitions and the Wyoming Symphony, greeting visitors with restored stained-glass windows, a larger stage and orchestra pit, resloped floors, and restored cornices across the now fabric ceiling.

The project also required numerous active and passive strategies to reduce energy and increased occupant comfort—including the installation of active chilled beams, condensing boilers and heat recovery units.

The design provided access to natural daylight and views to 98 percent of classroom and staff spaces. The remodel upgraded the envelope of the existing walls by adding continuous insulation behind the masonry, improving both thermal performance and air infiltration rates. Walls and roofs in the new addition were insulated beyond code minimums to provide a robust energy-saving envelope. Windows throughout the new and remodeled portions were upgraded with a high-performance, double low-e coating that achieves a u-value comparable to triple-pane units.

The reconstructed school reflects a bright future with lively colors, balanced daylight, and durable and handsome finishes.

Steve Harshman, a long-time teacher and coach at the school, had nothing but glowing comments about the project and general contractor.

“I was so pleased that AP was more than a contractor for our school. They were involved early in the project and continued to think big picture and to deliver total solutions, instead of just addressing short-term problems. I think their involvement and expertise, helped make the project a resounding success.”

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MINNEAPOLIS  — The University of Minnesota (UMN) in Minneapolis just completed a project so green that it won construction firm Adolfson & Peterson’s (AP) one of many awards at the Minnesota Construction Association (MCA) 23rd Annual Awards of Excellence Gala on Jan. 31.

The project included the renovation of the 104-year-old Main Energy Plant to add cutting-edge “co-generation” combined heat and power generation (CHPP) equipment to create a multi-functional building. The facility is 83 percent energy efficient (more than double the efficiency of a coal-fired power plant). The features of the power plant project are so unique and impressive, they won Adolfson & Peterson the MCA Award for Excellence for Green/Sustainable Project.

The new Main Energy Plant is connected to the Gopher substation as well as the university’s utility system, and generates electric power and steam for the Minneapolis campus. Fueled by natural gas, the Main Energy Plant will save the university an estimated net $2 million annually in utility operating costs and is a key investment in the university’s climate action plan to reduce campus emissions in half by the year 2020.

“The Main Energy Plant allows the Twin Cities to operate as an energy island so that critical university services at hospitals, clinics and research facilities can be maintained if there are external outage events,” said Jerome Malmquist, director of Energy Management at UMN, in a recent statement.

The updates on the main energy plant at UMN were made possible by a one-time $2 million rebate given to the school by the CenterPoint Energy Conservation Improvement Program. In addition, the UMN’s new Main Energy Plant received $10 million from the state in a 2012 bonding bill. The project, under regulation from the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, began in early 2015.

UMN reinvested in the former Old Main Heating Plant to replace the old boilers with a new 22.8-megawatt combustion turbine and heat recovery system. While operating, it reduces the university’s net carbon footprint by an estimated 10 to 13 percent and will provide the university with a more reliable source of energy.

During the conversion of UMN’s old steam plant to the new state-of-the-art CHPP) required unique construction and installation solutions during the design on the East Bank site, according to a university statement from 2017. Permitting and construction phases included the need for significant hazardous material abatement, approval for the cliffside location overlooking a national scenic river and park and its placement in the middle of a dense urban area.

“The Main Energy Plant marries a historic site and decommissioned plant with world-class technology and environmental stewardship to support the University’s long-term research mission,” said Mike Berthelsen, vice president of University Services, in a statement. “This is an exciting step that allows us to lessen our carbon footprint, while ensuring continuity of operations to campus and saving the University money.”

During its construction, builders began placement of equipment for chilled water production so the plant can eventually grow to a full-service utility that will provide chilled water for air conditioning.The plant went commercial on Nov. 17, 2017.

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