| |
 Rutt Academic Center,
Lancaster Mennonite School
Architect
Cornerstone Design-Architects
48-50 West Chestnut Street, #400, Lancaster, PA 17603
www.cornerstonedesign.com
General Description
SUSTAINABLE
Location:
Lancaster, Pennsylvania
Date Bid: Aug 2007
Construction Period: Oct 2007 to Oct 2008 Total Square Feet:
22,000 Site: 12 acres.
Number of Buildings: One; school with 15 classrooms
and a seating capacity of 365.
Building Size: First floor, 13,480; second floor, 12,324; third
floor, 12,149; total, 37,953 square feet.; total, 45’.
Building Height: First floor, 13’4”; second floor, 13’4”; third
floor, 13’4”; total, 42’6”.
Basic Construction Type: New/Steel Frame/IIB.
Foundation: Cast-in-place. Exterior Walls: CMU, brick,
curtainwall, EIFS. Roof: Metal, membrane. Floors:
Concrete. Interior Walls: CMU, metal stud drywall.
Construction Team
Structural Engineer: Greenebaum Structures, P.C. - 26-28 Market
Square, #2, Manheim, PA 17545
General Contractor & Cost Estimator: High Construction Company -
1853 William Penn Way, Lancaster, PA 17601
Mechanical Engineer: Accu-Aire Mechanical Services, Inc. - 3545
Marietta Avenue, Lancaster, PA 17601
Electrical Engineer: Mast Electrics, Inc. - 16 Holly Drive,
Leola, PA 17540
Plumbing Engineer: Haller Enterprises, Inc. - 212 Bucky Drive,
Lititz, PA 17543
Completed in October of 2008, the Lancaster Mennonite School Rutt
Academic Center is a project that evolved from its original inception in
January of 2002. The six year process of planning, strategizing, and
fund-raising brought to fruition a building that integrates both
classroom spaces for students and the central offices location for the
Lancaster Mennonite School System. This facility contains fifteen
classrooms including areas of study such as family and consumer
sciences, business, math, and science.
Designed by Cornerstone Design-Architects based in Lancaster,
Pennsylvania, this facility was intended as the gateway to campus and
serves as a security barrier for the school. The main entrance to the
building is located on the second floor and a long, winding entrance
ramp guides visitors from the main northern parking lot through the
academic center to the existing Fine Arts Center located just south of
the new facility. This ramp guides occupants through an atrium space
flooded with natural light and also serves as a community space for both
students and visitors.
The exterior of the building was designed to respond to the existing
architectural style on campus, but yet was designed to look towards the
future of building construction on campus. Materials such as red brick,
limestone, and decorative concrete masonry retain the traditional
elements of the campus, but the curved and flowing facades of
lightweight materials and glass curtain walls look toward the future.
While this project was not in pursuit of LEED® certification, many green
and sustainable attributes were adopted within the design of the
facility. Lancaster Mennonite School wants to instill a sense of
environmental responsibility and education into their students for
future generations within the community. This facility will serve as an
educational tool for many students for decades to come. Some of the
sustainable features include a geothermal heating and cooling system
coupled with forty-two wells which are drilled to a depth of
three-hundred fifty feet each. Energy-recovery units were installed to
maximize the efficiency of outside air intake and exhaust. A green roof
is installed on a third floor patio area adjacent to the biology science
classrooms. Students are able to learn more about plant species and
sustainability in this learning environment. Along with increased
insulation values within the floor, roof, and wall structures, radiant
heating is installed in the concrete floor of the atrium space.
The project has been considered a success by Lancaster Mennonite School
and their staff, board members, and students. Students now have more
inspiring spaces to learn, communicate, socialize, and grow both
spiritually and educationally.
|
|
|
