Greg Kemerer

Building Statistics

Building Name: Geneva Middle School – North
Location and Site: 1357 Viking Drive, Geneva, IL 60134
Building Occupant Name: Geneva Community Unit School District #304
Occupancy or Function Types: Educational
Size: 196,008 sq ft
Number of Stories Above Grade: 2
Primary Project Team Owner: Geneva Community Unit School District #304
Architect: Larson and Darby Group
Construction Manager: Bovis Lend Lease, Inc.
Consulting Engineers: Rempe-Sharpe
Consulting Engineers: KJWW Engineering Consultants
General Contractor:
Planned Dates Of Construction: 5/16/2005 – 8/29/2006
Cost: $27,065,000 Hard Construction Cost
Project Delivery Method: Design-Bid-Build, CM Agency

Architecture

The new middle school in Geneva, IL will be a familiar sight to its residents when it is completed. Located directly adjacent to the existing middle school, completed in August of 1994, the new middle school will be a fraternal twin. It is being constructed from the same design documents from the first middle school, with some minor improvements including an expanded gymnasium and a re-designed entry to allow easier accessibility.

The building has 3 separate sections that provide different functions. Section A is a single story, and includes the gymnasium and weight/cardio room as well as the locker rooms. Section B is a two story section that includes the classrooms, library, and administration offices. The classrooms are grouped into “cores,” 4 on each floor, consisting of 5 classrooms each. Students are assigned to a particular core for each school year. Section C houses the mechanical systems, the cafeteria/auditorium, kitchen, music rooms, and the shop classrooms. In this way, the noisy sections of the middle school are physically distanced from the quiet learning classrooms of section B.

The building will have a red face brick façade for all sections, with some panels of precast concrete on two story section B. The roofing system is predominantly a built-up roof, although the gymnasium features a trussed roof.

Building System Information

Primary Engineering Systems

Construction

Preparation for construction began in late March of 2005. The site was graded and an existing football field and track oval was removed. Currently, the load bearing masonry of sections A and C is being laid. This project will be under a strict schedule, as the building must be ready for the beginning of the 2006-2007 school year. In addition, the football field to the South of the existing middle field was to be completed in time for the 2005-2006 school year.

Zoning and Historical

The land had previously been zoned “R” for a public schools district, as the site of the new middle school is directly adjacent to the first middle school. There was an exception on the site to the North, along Kaneville Road. This land was privately owned and zoned “RR” for rural single-family residential. A small plot of this land was purchased by the school district and re-zoned to allow road traffic to the school from Kaneville Road through to Fabyan Road on the South end of the site.

Major Building Codes

BOCA National Building Code, 1996, w/ amendments
International Mechanical Code, 1996
State of Illinois Plumbing Code, Most Recent Edition
State of Illinois Accessibility Code, Most Recent Edition
National Electrical Code, 1996

Electrical

Electric power is supplied from a 480/277V line at 2732KVA. This line feeds a 4,000 amp bolt-on panel which branches to other 480/277V service panels as well as two 500 KVA transformers and a 225 KVA 208Y/120 transformer.

In case of an emergency, back up power is provided by a 250 KVA generator running a 480/277V line for critical systems, including fire pumps and emergency lighting.

Lighting

Lighting at the middle school is almost entirely fluorescent, running off 120V power. Metal halide fixtures running at 250V provide lighting in the gymnasiums as well as the shop classroom.

Mechanical

The mechanical system will cost approximately 4.3 million or roughly 15% of the total budget. Cooling and ventilation is provided by a forced air system utilizing two 300 ton air cooled chillers, and 6 air handler units. The forced air system will also feature a dust control system.

Heating will be provided by a 2-pipe heated water system. The water is heated by two 250BHP hot water boilers. Water is pumped from the storage tank throughout the building to fan coil units located at the perimeter of the rooms.

Additional heating will be provided by 2,340 linear feet of radiant ceiling panels.

Structural

The structural system for sections A and C are composed of load bearing masonry on top of a slab on grade foundation. The slab is reinforced with 6” x 6” W2.1xW2.1 welded wire fabric. The wall system utilizes 12” CMU with a running metal closure angle at the top of the wall. Exterior walls have a course of face brick.

The structural system for section B utilizes structural steel framing with face brick and architectural precast. The small basement uses step footings to match the CMU coursings, while the floor is composed of 12” hollow core precast decking with a 3” poured slab on top. Columns are W8x58 typical and beams are W21x44 typical at 6’6” spacing on center. Composite columns are utilized in the central library atrium space.

Additional Engineering and Engineering Support Systems

Fire Protection

The new Geneva middle school will be fully covered by sprinkler protection. The system is an automatic wet sprinkler system. The system itself is broken down into 4 different zones, spread out over the building. Risers for sprinklers on the second floor of section B are predominantly located in the stair wells and next to the atrium. Fire booster pumps are located in the mechanical room in section C and are powered by the emergency generators which are adjacent to the mechanical room.

Plumbing

Domestic water at the middle school is pushed by two centrifugal water pumps. Hot water is provided by two 300 gal hot water heaters. Water is also softened by a $25,000 water softening system.

Rain water is collected through interior storm risers and funneled to the basement of section B, where it is ejected by a 4” duplex sump pump capable of 98 gpm. Any solids in the storm pipe are separated and expelled by means of the 3” duplex ejector pump.

Telecommunications

Classrooms are equipped with both voice and data jacks, as well as an intercom system. Extended data cabling has been run to computer labs, library, and office.

Transportation

Special Systems

The cafeteria, which doubles as an auditorium space, is being fitted with a state of the art audio/video system.