Scope
Addition + Renovation
Completion
2011
Size
200,000 sf
The Wayne County Schools Career Center was completed in a 6-phase, 3-year construction renovation and addition with co-funding dollars from the Ohio Facilities Construction Commission. The total renovations and additions encompassed 185,000 sf of the existing Career Center building, as well as the renovation of the 5,500 sf "Old School House" Restaurant and Bakery Kitchen into an Administration / Board of Education Building. Through creative planning, a newly-renovated 7,600 sf Adult Education Center was constructed as “swing space” for academic classrooms/career tech labs during the 3 year renovation and addition.
During the early planning stages [SoL Harris/Day] met with and listened to our teaching staff about the needs for their classroom and lab spaces. This led to a redesign of the use of our current building space that will positively impact the education, efficiency of our staff, and use of the space by our community.
Lynn R. Moomaw, Director of Operations, WCSCC
The opportunities for career-oriented students appear endless at the newly renovated, state-of-the-art career technical school located in Smithville, Ohio. The existing 5-wing facility was a challenge to navigate for both students and visitors and was reorganized to ease congestion and improve movement throughout the building. All the newly-updated academic classrooms were reorganized towards the center of the building which simplifies the movement pattern for students and staff. Community use Career tech programs were also reorganized toward the exterior of the building which included a horticulture retail shop, print tech (graphic arts), culinary arts restaurant and nursing wing for adult education and student clinicals. New parking and loading/unloading zones were also created adjacent to these programs for easy access by the outside community.
Another impactful addition to the existing facility was created by enclosing an underutilized failing courtyard and transforming it into “Common” gathering place for students and staff before, during and after school. This new volume of space has clerestory windows installed on all six sides making this new centrally located commons an open, bright space with plenty of natural light. Extending outward from the central “Commons”, the existing corridors were reorganized to the exterior wall of each “wing” to enhance building security and improve natural daylighting and movement.
During the design process, the SHD team formed a committee to address loose furniture, which was carefully chosen and specified as part of the project. Furniture was selected to be flexible, comfortable, cleanable, and of most importance, durable in order to meet the project goals. Furniture specifications were then sent out for competitive bidding, ensuring the best cost to the district while still getting the products they wanted for their newly renovated school.
As part of the first wave of school districts to be affected by the Ohio School Facilities Commission mandate of September 2007, the 11th through 12th grade tech school was one of the first career centers in the State of Ohio to achieve LEED Silver Certification.
Sustainable Strategies
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