Photo by Peter Dressel/Wilk Marketing Communications
Photo by Peter Dressel/Wilk Marketing Communications.
Rockville Centre, NY BBS Architects, Landscape Architects and Engineers has completed the renovation and expansion of South Side High School for the Rockville Centre Union Free School District located in Suffolk County on Long Island. BBS served as the architect; interior designer; technology designer; and mechanical, electrical, and plumbing (MEP) engineer for the project. The school is located at 140 Shepherd St.
According to BBS principal architect, Roger Smith, AIA, LEED AP, “The $26.6 million South Side High School redevelopment was a part of the $45.9 million school improvement bond issue that was approved by local voters in 2013. BBS serves as the multi-discipline designer for the entire district-wide construction program, which also includes the construction of additions to Watson Elementary School as well as numerous exterior and interior renovations, and upgrades to athletic facilities throughout the Rockville Centre School District.”
Prior to creating the architectural and engineering designs for South Side and other projects included in the district’s overall improvement program, BBS performed a review of existing facilities, analyzed demographic data and trends, assessed the cost of various alternatives, and gathered input from the district’s personnel and the local community.
Based on this research, BBS developed a capital program that was divided into three distinctive areas: 1) spatial needs, which encompass the necessary additional classrooms, administrative offices, and other facilities; 2) facility needs, which encompass the required maintenance and capital improvements to existing facilities and infrastructure; and 3) the site work, which consists of sports fields, playgrounds, pick-up and drop-off loops, driveways, and parking areas.
The architectural and design team also assisted the district with the development of presentation materials for the voters. These materials outlined the district’s needs and details of the work to be included in the bond-funded program.
BBS’s project team included principal architect Roger Smith, AIA, LEED AP; project manager Kenneth Schupner, AIA; designer Tracy Hansen; and construction administrator Peter Dawkins. Park East Construction served as construction manager.
$17.3 million, or 65% of the project’s budget, was allocated to new construction and $9.3 million, or 35%, to the renovation of existing assets. The additions total 46,900 s/f, while 45,900 s/f of existing space was renovated and reconfigured.
Photo by Peter Dressel/Wilk Marketing Communications
Photo by Peter Dressel/Wilk Marketing Communications
“The South Side High School project called for a comprehensive rethinking of the existing school facilities through renovation, expansion, and site layout revision,” said BBS project manager Kenneth Schupner, AIA. “The redevelopment program has transformed what began as an inefficient multi-building campus into one expanded and upgraded main building situated on a completely redesigned site.”
The campus was originally comprised of a main building and five separate smaller structures containing twelve instructional spaces. The challenge was to maximize the school’s efficiency and provide the desired functionality while implementing the changes in phases. The school remained in operation during construction, adding to the need for careful planning, phasing of work, and safety procedures.
Hansen said, “The architectural team designed two additions to house all of the spaces that were previously located in temporary structures, as well as new educational and athletic facilities. Within the existing main building, the renovation upgraded the science lecture rooms and laboratories, regular classrooms, the library, food service facilities, and other spaces. The new design also addressed internal student traffic flow issues and an imbalanced student housing capacity between the front of the building, surrounding the auditorium, and the back of the building, where most of the classrooms had been located. One main hallway and several T intersections made it difficult for students to navigate within the building prior to the renovation.”
The entire building has been in some way renovated, with about a quarter of it being reconfigured spatially as well. The BBS team evaluated the entire campus site in order to maintain the educational program throughout construction and use the available space in the most efficient manner possible to support students’ academic and athletic achievement.
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