Pinellas County East Lake Middle School Academy of Engineering / Fast-tracked new construction and renovations on occupied school / 40,634 GSF
In response to new Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) initiatives, this fast-track project included three new buildings for a 396-student, 40,634 SF middle school constructed on the existing, occupied East Lake High School campus.
The project encompassed new construction and renovations including a new middle school academy with new drop-off/pick-up, faculty and visitor parking, formal entry, two-story classroom building with science lab, health lab, language lab, two computer labs, three science demonstration labs, eight general classrooms, two open-study areas; a performing arts building; P.E. locker building, and renovation of a portion of the high school to house three middle school engineering labs, and a wood shop.
Construction is cast-in-place concrete, CMU, precast planks, with metal stud trusses hardened to category five hurricane windloads to serve as an evacuation shelter for residents. Scope included a campus-wide (both MS and HS) upgrades of the fire alarm systems. White stucco was used on building exteriors with state-of-the-art cool-metal roof to reduce energy costs. Construction was carefully phased to maintain full operations of the existing high school and the middle school which was housed in 13 portables, along with maintaining operations of the existing bus loop.
