Design and Construction

The district uses cost-effective design principals to create and build quality school designs that reduce costs and improve the educational experience, without compromising quality.

Cost-effective Design Principles

  • Using design pre-work to improve design concepts and lower costs.
  • Exploring best practices in school design and lean building principles.
  • Continuing to learn from other school districts that have had success with cost-effective design.
  • Convening a small expert advisory group to review design and construction of funded projects.
Design PrincipleDescription
Stacking buildings
  • Eliminate or minimize one-story designs
  • Change designs to increase number of stories
Efficient and simple design
  • Buildings designed in more compact manner, i.e., box/cube shape
  • Utilize quality systems, i.e., mechanical, lighting, controls, that are simple to use and maintain
Aesthetic
  • Emphasis on aesthetics that are pleasing and fit with the neighborhood context, but not on design awards
Standards
  • Clear standards for design teams to ensure commonality in construction documents and building/system solutions
Accountability of design teams
  • System of accountability for design teams with respect to district standards, short-term/long-term value and educational goals
Proto-parts
  • Re-using portions of designs or design concepts across projects
Grouping multiple projects to the extent possible
  • Consider combining projects together using same design team and/or contractor