Larchmont Elementary School Serving PreK-5th Grade with a premedical sciences theme. Larchmont School, a new two-story, Pre-K through 5th grade school, serves as the replacement […]
Larchmont School, a new two-story, Pre-K through 5th grade school, serves as the replacement for Larchmont Elementary School, which was located on the same site. The former building and site amenities stayed in operation during construction of the new facility, and were demolished and replaced upon completion.
The configuration of spaces is geared toward collaborative and project-based learning. The design of the new school includes a one-story common use area that houses the cafeteria, media center, gymnatorium, and administration area, as well as a two-story learning community containing classrooms, small-group shared project rooms, art, science, computer and multi- purpose labs centered around a common central stairway. Grade levels are separated by floors and wings in the learning community area.
The building facade blends into the surrounding community and contains design features reminiscent of the existing 1920s era school building. Site features include separate vehicular (parent drop-off area) and bus traffic entrances as well as clearly defined areas for neighborhood pedestrian traffic, multi-use play fields and an outdoor classroom. The school is designed as a joint-use community facility which calls for separate entrances for the common use spaces and learning community area.
The new building design is conceived to maximize energy efficiency by implementing sustainable concepts such as day lighting, building placement on the site to maximize sun exposure and utilizing a high efficiency HVAC system. The building is Energy Star Certified with a score of 96.
S.B. Ballard built the new school within 100 yards of the fully functioning existing school. The team took the following precautions to make this a success:
Norfolk Public Schools Modernization
The S.B. Ballard Construction Company’s Project Team was awarded the contract to build five (5) schools for the City of Norfolk, totaling 564,982 SF. This project involved the design and construction of these new facilities at five (5) different locations and demolition of the older existing facilities. The Project Team performed the work in overlapping phases which allowed all five schools to be completed in a 5 year span.
The Public-Private Partnership / Design-Build process provided the platform for the Project Team to engage the public in numerous community meetings throughout Norfolk, VA. The team held forums in each area’s school zone to gather community input and discuss plans for each new school. The Project Team took the public input from the community meetings and incorporated this feedback into the different programs that were outlined by the City of Norfolk and Norfolk Public Schools (the City and School System). Special attention was also given to the existing design and construction of the surrounding buildings as well as the specific needs of the local neighborhoods and businesses for the new school construction.
The City and School System saved millions of dollars in design, engineering, construction costs, and FF&E costs through economies of scale for design and construction and bulk purchases of furniture and equipment. This approach saved valuable time and money during the development of construction drawings.
Constructability issues were minimized through the collaboration of the design and construction teams and the use of Building Information Modeling (BIM). S. B. Ballard Construction Company successfully managed and coordinated this complex project to build, demolish, and transition students and faculty from the old schools to the new school buildings with no interruption. This detailed, multi-phased success story is a testament to S.B. Ballard Construction Company’s due diligence in working with the local communities, City and School System to learn about their needs and deliver on our commitment.
2828 Shipps Corner Rd.
Virginia Beach, VA 23453
P (757) 440-5555
F (757) 451-2873
104 Shockoe Slip
Lower Level, Suite C
Richmond, VA 23219
P (804) 343-3433
F (804) 343-3412
250 E. Elizabeth St.
Suite 117
Harrisonburg, VA 22802
P (757) 689-6817
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