KKE Architects, Inc.
300 First Avenue North, Minneapolis, MN 55401
www.kke.com

LOCATION: New Prague, Minnesota
DATE BID: Mar 2005
Construction Period: Apr 2005 to Aug 2006 
Total Square Feet: 90,157 
SITE: 20 acres. 
NUMBER OF BUILDINGS: One.
BUILDING SIZE: First floor, 53,481; second floor, 36,676; total, 90,157 square feet. 
Building Height: First floor, 14’8”; second floor, 14’8”; total, 29’6”. 
Basic Construction Type: New.
Foundation: Cast-in-place, reinforced concrete, slab-on-grade. 
Exterior Walls: Precast. 
Roof: Membrane. 
Floors: Precast. 
Interior Walls: CMU, metal stud drywall.


STRUCTURAL ENGINEER: Ericksen Roed & Associates, Inc. - 2550 University Avenue West, #201S, St. Paul, MN 55114
CONSTRUCTION MANAGER & COST ESTIMATOR: AMCON Construction - 1715 Yankee Doodle Road, #200, Eagan, MN 55121
MECHANICAL & ELECTRICAL ENGINEER: Hallberg Engineering - 1750 Commerce Court, White Bear Lake, MN 55110
LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT & CIVIL ENGINEER: Anderson-Johnson Associates, Inc. - 7575 Golden Valley Road, #200, Minneapolis, MN 55427

The New Prague Area School District was planning to build two new Elementary Schools for the first time in 30 years. The District chose a process to complete the schematic design of the new elementary schools prior to the referendum passage and simultaneously with the search for land. 

The schematic design process involved a committee of 40 people from all parts of the District as well as selected educators. The goals of the committee were as follows: Design a building that could be used on different sites and maintain an East/West orientation for the classrooms; Develop separate zones for education and community use; and apply the sustainable design concepts of the LEED® program.

The building responded to the lack of a site with classroom wings that could flip in different directions to maintain the East/West orientation while still providing separation between the site elements of bus, car and play/athletic zones. The East/West orientation is important for energy efficiency by providing consistent sunlight with ease of control in the classroom. The selection of materials and heating cooling systems also responded to the LEED® criteria. The two-story cafeteria is the center of activity that provides orientation within the building to which the entry, gymnasium, administration, arts and media center are directly connected for community use and separate for the classroom areas.

The building’s design utilizes multiple sustainable design principles while meeting the District’s needs for a prototypical and economical design to be built in two locations. Daylighting opportunities were maximized through proper site orientation, which partnered with variable electrical controls and allow for reduced energy consumption. Classroom windows are sized to approximately 17% of the floor area that results in an average 35 foot-candle level. Mechanical systems were selected based on their high efficiency, low maintenance and ability to provide a high level of indoor air quality. The cost-effective building materials were selected to utilize regional resources, for their reuse potential and to include recycled and renewable products. The structural system of structural steel columns and beams, precast plank floors, and precast walls and metal panel exterior walls provided the owner with a cost efficient building system while meeting LEED® criteria.


DIV. 3: Precast: Hanson.
DIV. 7: Membrane Roof: Firestone
DIV. 9: Vinyl: Mannington; Carpet: Mohawk