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
| Jul 1, 2013
Report: Global construction market to reach $15 trillion by 2025
A new report released today forecasts the volume of construction output will grow by more than 70% to $15 trillion worldwide by 2025.
| Jul 1, 2013
Elizabeth Chu Richter, FAIA, elected 2015 AIA President
Delegates to the American Institute of Architects (AIA) national convention in Denver elected Elizabeth Chu Richter (AIA Corpus Christi) to serve as the 2014 AIA first vice president/president-elect and 2015 AIA president.
| Jun 28, 2013
Calculating the ROI of building enclosure commissioning
A researcher at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory calls building enclosure commissioning “the single-most cost-effective strategy for reducing energy, costs, and greenhouse gas emissions in buildings today.”
| Jun 28, 2013
A brief history of windows in America
Historic window experts from Hoffmann Architects look back at the origin of windows in the U.S.
| Jun 28, 2013
Building owners cite BIM/VDC as 'most exciting trend' in facilities management, says Mortenson report
A recent survey of more than 60 building owners and facility management professionals by Mortenson Construction shows that BIM/VDC is top of mind among owner professionals.
| Jun 27, 2013
Thermal, solar control designs can impact cooling loads by 200%, heating loads by 30%
Underestimating thermal bridging can greatly undermine a building’s performance contributing to heating load variances of up to 30% and cooling load variances of up to 200%, says the MMM Group.
| Jun 26, 2013
New York’s ‘Scaffold Law’ may be altered to place larger burden on workers
New York's Scaffold Law, which “places the burden of responsibility on the contractor to prove that the job site was safe for workers,” could be facing a major change.
| Jun 26, 2013
Commercial real estate execs eye multifamily, retail sectors for growth, says KPMG report
The multifamily, retail, and hospitality sectors are expected to lead commercial building growth, according to the 2013 KPMG Commercial Real Estate Outlook Survey.
| Jun 25, 2013
Mirvish, Gehry revise plans for triad of Toronto towers
A trio of mixed-use towers planned for an urban redevelopment project in Toronto has been redesigned by planners David Mirvish and Frank Gehry. The plan was announced last October but has recently been substantially revised.
| Jun 25, 2013
First look: Herzog & de Meuron's Jade Signature condo tower in Florida
Real estate developer Fortune International has released details of its new Jade Signature property, to be developed in Sunny Isles Beach near Miami. The luxury waterfront condo building will include 192 units in a 57-story building near high-end retail destinations and cultural venues.
