The leadership of the North Shore School District, community leaders and BBS Architects, Landscape Architects and Engineers celebrated the official opening of the new athletic field, running track and supporting facilities.
The district encompasses a high school, middle school and three elementary schools. BBS served the district as architect and engineer for the project. Savin Engineers provided construction management services.
“The new, $3.8-million, 100,000-square-foot sports complex replaced and expanded the deteriorated facilities which were insufficient for the needs of the district’s 2,850 students,” says BBS Director of Architecture Joseph B. Rettig, AIA, LEED AP. “The new complex includes a multi-use, synthetic turf field; an eight-lane running track; and a 1,700-square-foot concession, bathroom and storage building.”
The creative financing for the project included a combination of the district’s private/not-for-profit and other public sources. This public/private combination of funding sources was unusual for a school-related construction project, but made financing easier at the time when local property tax increases in New York State are capped at 2%. The support of the Viking Foundation allowed the district to utilize funds raised through direct taxation to maintain the necessary level of instructional activities, while still making the construction of the new field and track possible.
The BBS team faced several engineering challenges, including the requirement to protect a neighboring wetland recharge basin and a poorly draining fill and soil at the site of the new field.
The complex also includes a new, one-story, multi-purpose building that serves as the main entry port to the athletic facilities. The building consists of two structures connected by a pitched steel truss roof with gray asphalt shingles and a reverse gable. The entryway between the buildings is protected by a decorative iron gate. The entire athletic facility received a new security system. +
Related Stories
| Aug 11, 2010
ZweigWhite names its fastest-growing architecture, engineering, and environmental firms
Management consulting and research firm ZweigWhite has identified the 200 fastest-growing architecture, engineering, and environmental consulting firms in the U.S. and Canada for its annual ranking, The Zweig Letter Hot Firm List. This annual list features the design and environmental firms that have outperformed the economy and competitors to become industry leaders.
| Aug 11, 2010
SSOE, Fluor among nation's largest industrial building design firms
A ranking of the Top 75 Industrial Design Firms based on Building Design+Construction's 2009 Giants 300 survey. For more Giants 300 rankings, visit http://www.BDCnetwork.com/Giants
| Aug 11, 2010
Guggenheim to host live online discussion of Frank Lloyd Wright exhibition
The Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum launches the Guggenheim Forum, a new series of moderated online discussions among experts from a variety of fields that will occur in conjunction with major museum exhibitions.
| Aug 11, 2010
Best AEC Firms of 2011/12
Later this year, we will launch Best AEC Firms 2012. We’re looking for firms that create truly positive workplaces for their AEC professionals and support staff. Keep an eye on this page for entry information. +
| Aug 11, 2010
Report: Building codes and regulations impede progress toward uber-green buildings
The enthusiasm for super green Living Buildings continues unabated, but a key stumbling block to the growth of this highest level of green building performance is an existing set of codes and regulations. A new report by the Cascadia Region Green Building Council entitled "Code, Regulatory and Systemic Barriers Affecting Living Building Projects" presents a case for fundamental reassessment of building codes.
| Aug 11, 2010
Call for entries: Building enclosure design awards
The Boston Society of Architects and the Boston chapter of the Building Enclosure Council (BEC-Boston) have announced a High Performance Building award that will assess building enclosure innovation through the demonstrated design, construction, and operation of the building enclosure.
| Aug 11, 2010
Portland Cement Association offers blast resistant design guide for reinforced concrete structures
Developed for designers and engineers, "Blast Resistant Design Guide for Reinforced Concrete Structures" provides a practical treatment of the design of cast-in-place reinforced concrete structures to resist the effects of blast loads. It explains the principles of blast-resistant design, and how to determine the kind and degree of resistance a structure needs as well as how to specify the required materials and details.
