ROWAN COUNTY MIDDLE School

As requested by the Owner, this is a "unique", 100,000 s.f. facility for 850 students located on a central campus with other schools. Staff involvement was a significant factor in achieving the owner’s program, with over 1,000 hours devoted to listening, sharing information, and developing designs for review. Family grade groups plus separate "arts" group defined the class areas, and building function relative to site and security issues helped determine space relationships. The project had a very tight budget at $18 mil, and included up-sized gym, new-generation energy-efficient VRV-HVAC system, and total campus circulation revisions to facilitate traffic flow and bus/car separation. The project bid in October 2009, with a total contract at $17.5 mil, 3% under budget. Construction has begun, with anticipated completion in July 2010. The project has been awarded "Energy Star" design status for sustainable green design by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.