Floyd E. Kellam High School

Floyd E. Kellam High School was one of the oldest high schools in Virginia Beach and was replaced with a new 2,000 student school envisioned to be a prototype for 21^st century learning with learning commons, experimental labs, collaboration stations, and modular classrooms. This High School is an educational facility that has truly been designed from the inside out, planned to support and facilitate a new challenge-based learning curriculum focused on engaging students in their own learning, and collaboratively designed by the stakeholders who will benefit from its realization.

SBBCC, the design team and consultants successfully designed and constructed the new Kellam High School, completing the project 3 months ahead of the original completion date. The project consisted of the construction of a two-story high school of approximately 336,000 SF that accommodates six (6) communities of about 330 students, each with its own section. It has one main library, a courtyard with waterfall, a garden, and a 2,940 SF, 150-seat black box theatre. The school has an educational courtyard, outdoor classrooms, a gymnasium, and athletic facilities. LEED Silver Certification.

The building consists of six Learning Communities; Technical/Career Education, Visual Arts, Music/Performing Arts, Gymnasium/Physical Education, Media Center, Admin/Welcome Center, Guidance Center. Cafeteria/Food Services, and Custodial/Building Services.

Project Features
> Design-Build Delivery Method
> Completed 3 months ahead of schedule
> Lowered cost $10 million through vest value and life-cycle analysis
> Multi-story / Stairwell
> Automatic Building Systems
> Security Electronics
> Flexible Spaces
> Modular Classrooms
> Collaborative Space
> Work Space / Support Space
> Six Learning Communities
> Experimental Labs
> Breakout Spaces and Presentation Spaces
> Learning Commons Spaces
> 2,000-seat Gymnasium
> 800-seat Auditorium
> 145-seat Black Box Theater
> Educational Courtyard
> Interdisciplinary Teacher Workrooms
> 4,500-seat Stadium
> Synthetic Turf Football/Soccer Field
> Running Track
> Baseball and Softball Fields
> Eight Tennis Courts
> General Practice Fields and Facilities
> 2 Outdoor Basketball Courts

Design
Through collaboration with Virginia Beach City Public Schools it was established that there were three clear objectives that would define success for this project:

> Involve full spectrum of stakeholders in collaborative planning and design processes to maximize the value of design-thinking across diverse networks and also to achieve both user and community “buy-in”.

>Design a high school facility that will facilitate and support the implementation of a new curriculum and assessment model founded on the principals of student-centered challenge-based learning and focused on developing skills in critical thinking, creative thinking, collaboration, communication, and community service.

> Create challenge-based learning opportunities for Kellam High School students that are integrated into the planning and design process for the new school though a collaborative effort between the design team and school faculty, and incorporate sustainable design strategies and themes into the school facility that will become embedded in the curriculum and that will encourage students to become engaged as lifelong-learners and sustainable-citizens.

Collaborative Planning & Design Processes
We firmly believe that collaboration between stakeholders of diverse viewpoints adds value to planning and design. Accordingly, the project team facilitated many collaborative planning and design processes that resulted in forward thinking and unique solutions that have culminated in a truly remarkable educational facility for 21st century learning:

> Educational specifications workshops
> Building planning & design charrette workshops
> Site planning & design charrette workshops
> Furnishings & equipment planning & design charrette workshops
> Educational courtyard design charrette workshops

SBBCC worked closely with the HBA and design consultants to lower the cost by $10 million through best value and life-cycle cost analysis. In-house estimating experts provided solutions to lower the cost while still maintaining quality.

SBBCC was responsible for bidding the job, selecting qualified bidders, viewing the site, making sure the soil reports were correct, analyzing the local weather conditions, building the schedule, and verifying minority participation was met. During the project, the team coordinated over 74 subcontractor firms and over 600 workers on a daily basis.

Sustainable Design Features
> Roof rainwater harvesting for irrigation of play fields
> site retains and infiltrates rainwater thereby reducing impact to municipal stormwater facilities
> vegetated roof / art courtyard
> courtyard benches made of site-reclaimed hardwood trees
> reforestation buffer between KHS site and Victoria Park
> bicycle storage
> recycled content materials used
> bamboo wood floor in gym
> low VOC emitting materials
> cool roof to minimize solar heat gain
> facilities planned for community use
> provisions for recycling included in design
> water-use reduction with low-flow fixtures
> energy saving HVAC system with geothermal wells
> HVAC system commissioning
> indoor air quality building flush & testing
> light pollution reduction
> daylight harvesting, and construction waste management

Awards
2015 Project of Distinction
(Recognized as one of the Top 5 New Schools in the World)
Association for Learning Environments International – A4LE (formerly CEFPI)

2015 Best Secondary School Design
Southeast Region of Association for Learning Environments – A4LE

2014 Gold Design Award
VA Chapter of A4LE and Virginia Department of Education

2014 Gold Design Award
VSBA – Virginia School Board Association

2015 Merit Award
AIA Hampton Roads Chapter

2015 Merit Award
VA ASLA – Virginia Chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects

2014 Award of Excellence
HRACRE – Hampton Roads Association for Commercial Real Estate

2014 Honor Award
City of Virginia Beach Planning Commission