Middle school design
By BECKY BROOKS
Enterprise Editor
clydenews@bizwoh.rr.com
The design team from Fanning*Howey Architects and Engineering answered questions about the $17.8 million proposed Clyde-Green Springs middle school during a special board meeting Monday night at the board of education office.
School board members slowly accepted the design - each wanting details as to why it was a unique design and is projected to cost almost $900,000 more than the first estimates. A drawing of the new building has yet to be released to the media.
Thomas Conley, board president stated at the end of the session, "Sounds like all five of us have been won over."
During the near-two hour session, the architects explained the design of the building, which will be a first in Ohio with its incorporation of energy-efficient elements, classroom design and green technology.
Although the project has yet to go out for bid, the construction manager estimates the project would be 5 percent ($897,000) over the Ohio School Facilities Commission's budget for the building.
Superintendent Greg Elchert confirmed for board members they had not yet approved the design schematic phase of the middle school building.
Elchert also reported that the construction manager's estimates for the new Green Springs School, South Main expansion and renovation were less than 1 percent over the OSFC estimate. The renovation and expansion plans for Clyde High School so far is under budget, he said. Designs for those buildings have already been approved by the board.
But the middle school being planned for Limerick Road is a new concept.
"We're very proud and very happy to present what we have here for you," John McCreery, Fanning*Howey project architect, stated as he showed the design again to the board members in the conference room on the projection wall.
"It's a LEED project," he said noting it is using state of the art design and technology for energy and green points with OSFC.
The building is divided into classroom wings for the sixth, seven and eighth grades. Each wing is a dedicated community complex with a central shared common area room, operable classroom walls that slide open and individual student restrooms in the common area. The classrooms face the community room on the inside and windows in the sliding walls allow classes and teachers to watch the central area.
Each classroom also has a long ceiling well in the center of the room. That well reaches up and has a south facing window, which allows sunlight to enter the space to provide more natural light to the classroom. That light is diffused above the classroom ceiling opening by hanging cloth baffles. The lighting system in the classroom automatically reduces the amount of fluorescent lighting in the room, based on available daylight. The system also includes a motion detector, which turns off lights when everyone leaves. The heating and air system also work with the ceiling well to reduce energy needs.
The overhead ceiling well holds static air to help control room temperature, plus the classroom itself also has first-floor exterior windows facing outdoors for additional light.
McCreery said Fanning*Howey presented the plan to the OFSC last week, which called the design the poster child of future schools.
The designer showed charts that the school could have 37 percent lower energy bills than a tradition basic building approved by the OFSC. The design team also showed board members the building could save $49,004 annually in energy costs.
"This building is going to save your taxpayers a lot of money," McCreery said.
But board members were concerned about the possible cost overrun on the one building - which will be visibly different than the other school buildings in the district.
The middle school would had long above roof dormers called 'Monitors" running over each classroom wing to allow for the ceiling wells and south windows.
"We're here in Northwest Ohio and aren't known for our sunlight hours," Board President Thomas Conley pointed out.
McCreery stressed that the design was based on complete energy information from Toledo. "These windows are optimized for Ohio."
Following concerns expressed by Board member Nancy Greenslade about a 5 percent over-budget cost, McCreery pointed out that at this stage of the building project costs were tentative until the project went out for bid.
The OSFC projects overall with all four buildings is on budget, he pointed out.
"We feel this is the best building design in the state," McCreery added. "This is the best building I have ever designed."
Board members discussed eliminating the "day-light option of the building", but determined that would require a complete redesign and save little money as more windows, higher exterior walls and a larger HVAC system would have to be added.
McCreery explained the design, walls and windows as drawn make the building smaller and energy efficient. He also commented that with the stock market plunging on Monday, it might be very possible that bids on the project in a few months could be lower than estimated now.
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