June 1, 2017

Elk Ridge Elementary School

Image of the main entrance to the renovated school.

General Project Info

Location: Buckley, WA
When: 2017 - 2019
Company: Andy Johnson & Co., Inc.
Footprint: 74,383 sq.ft.
My Role: Superintendent

About the Project

Elk Ridge Elementary School in Buckley, Washington was built in 1969 and previously served nearly 400 students in preschool through fifth grade. With the modernization and addition, Elk Ridge Elementary School has capacity for 550 students.

The completed campus includes a single school building, comprised of the existing Elk Ridge Elementary School, a new two-story classroom/administration wing, and a new stand-alone covered play.

The new two-story classroom/administration addition incorporates a courtyard with a new enclosed corridor along the north side of the existing gymnasium. A portion of the existing main building was removed with extensive internal demolition and remodel. Classrooms inside the existing main building were reorganized and renovated to provide much needed access to daylight for all classroom spaces. The existing building is wood-framed, and the addition is steel-framed.

A new entry plaza and lobby connects the original school building to the new two-story wing, adjacent to the existing bus drop-off. A new hardscape play area was constructed to the west of the building. Existing play fields, student drop off lanes, and the parking lot were be preserved and improved.

🧩 Construction Project Features

Significant selective demolition of portions of the existing building that remained occupied and in-use during construction
An abundance of schedule re-sequencing to accomodate new information that developed during the remodel and impacted design
Significant improvement to the community and the largest investment in the building in decades

💡 Technologies and Skills I used

Plan Review
Shop-Drawing Review
Planning and schedule coordination
3D BIM Coordination using Navisworks

Photos

A Project that felt like it was at the base of Mt Rainer

Photo on HWY 410 heading East toward the project, early morning with the sun shining and a faint silhouette of Mt Rainier. The photos don’t really capture how large the mountain appears in person.

There was a lot of early coordination and sequencing adjacent to the existing building

Setting a large beam on some columns at the roof level of the existing building. The new Library attached directly to the existing building and ‘joined’ the new ‘B-wing’ to the existing school. This photo is taken from on top of the roof of the existing school with the new library mechanical attic to the left.

B-Wing went up pretty quickly

Photo taken from NE of site featuring a large crane in the process of erecting the steel structure of the building.

Photo showing a bubble level held up to the edge of brick veneer in which the original masonry is not plumb. The majority of ‘B-Wing’ steel stood up in just a few days.

But it involved a lot of prior coordination to make everything fit

Photo of structural steel framing from the second level of building 'b'.

Photo of structural steel framing from the second level of building 'b', this time in a 3D model rendering.

Photo of 3D rendering of the mechanical attic of the new wing. The team worked diligently to resolve clearance issues, or “clashes” as much as possible before fabrication. Even then, the schedule waits for no one.

Photo of the mechanical attic just after the structural steel is erected, as seen in the 3D rendering in the previous photo.

And some adjustments along the way

Image of 3D redered model of a portion of the new building showing the steel substructure within a semi-transparent wall assembly.

Photo of the same place at the building as the model image above but in real life, featuring the structure embedded within the metal-stud framing.

Getting ‘B-wing’ Sheathed was a happy sight

Photo of the building shell of 'B-wing' from across the large playfield of the school.

“Drying-In” the building is always a milestone

Photo showing a bubble level held up to the edge of brick veneer in which the original masonry is not plumb.

They say you can’t make an omelette without breaking a few eggs.

Photo of piles of demolition rubble with an excavator on top of one of the mounds.

We often say,“It’s going to get worse before it gets better.”

Photo of the existing school with a portion in the middle completely removed to the ground.

There are always interesting issues that come up when remodeling existing construction…

Photo showing a bubble level held up to the edge of brick veneer in which the original masonry is not plumb.

…and I’m often surprised by what scope gets preserved or salvaged

Photo of replacement concrete slab-work in progress.

Photo of the East side of 'A-wing' with whole sections of wall opened up.

Eventually, it’s all covered with finishes anyway

Photo of 'B-wing' roofed and sided from across the large playfield.'

Some un-planned work is always expected…

Photo of 'A-wing' as we lowered the last replacement roof truss into place.

Photo of playfield area to the west of the school complex.

Photo of insulation and rough-in work getting compelted inside the new 'commons' space.

Some un-wanted work, but it gets done…

Photo of 'floor-prep' inside the commons space.

Photo of the last portion of the remodel project, finishing up the 'A-wing'.

After over a year of long days…and some nights…

Photo of a pink-sky sunset looking west from the job-site one evening.

One day, it’s finally finished…

Photo of the completed main entrance as seen from the north.

Photo of the new play structure with the school in the background.

Photo of the school sign in the median of the busloop entrance that reads:'Elk Ridge Elementary'

Photo of the new main entrance with raised metal sigange that reads,'Elk Ridge Elementary' above the canopy.

🌐 More Info

👉 Meng Analysis

👉 Sare Electric, Inc.

🎯 Objective / Learnings

Phased and temporary construction
3D BIM coordination
Advanced Structural Retrofitting Techniques
Extensive Moisture Mitigation component on the second phase