Project Overview
As part of a multi-million dollar investment in campus improvements over a six-year period, administrators at Timothy Christian Schools developed a new junior high school to house seventh and eighth graders and provide upgraded learning facilities.
The project consists of classrooms, laboratories, administrative offices, and other facilities, including a spacious lobby that serves as the lunchroom for students during the day and as a mingling area during athletic competitions. A new athletics arena for the adjacent high school seats 1,200 people, almost double the current capacity of the existing gym.
Precast Solution
To meet the tight schedule as well as zoning requirements and other needs, designers specified load-bearing architectural precast concrete panels with inset thin brick and an insulated core to clad the façade.
“We looked at masonry-cavity construction with a brick veneer and other options, but the construction manager was familiar with precast concrete and liked how it would impact the schedule to reduce it,” says Tom Sinke, senior architect and project manager at AMDG Architects.
A brick facing was required to meet zoning ordinances in the area, he notes, and precast concrete could meet that need with a panelized system that reduced joints and speeded construction. “We liked that it would erect quickly and get the building enclosed.”
Lombard Architectural Precast Products Co. was brought in on a design-assist basis early in the design phase after beating out two other precasters for the job. They immediately consulted on optimizing panel sizes and design and to provide budget estimates.
“Bringing them onboard early allowed us to start shop drawings faster,” says Sinke. “The structural engineer also could use them as a resource to help plan connections for interior steel beams and joists that bear on the precast. They also helped optimize the placement of windows and other blockouts to make casting and erection as efficient as possible.
A blend of brick colors were chosen to complement other buildings on the campus with a variety of similar (but not identical) brick appearances. The designers worked with Lombard to find the best approach to handling returns on the brick-covered panels.
“Some precasters use mitered corners, but they don’t work well with brick panels. It was helpful to have Lombard on board early so we could design the panels the way they liked to make them as efficient as possible, creating the best aesthetics and making erection smooth.”
The panels were erected quickly, getting the building enclosed so interior trades could begin work earlier. Most of the erection took place during the schools’ Christmas break, alleviating congestion at the site and improving access. |