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 Gainesville High School, Media Center Addition & Renovations
Architect
Long & Associates Architects/Engineers, Inc.
4525 S. Manhattan Avenue, Tampa, FL 33611
www.longandassociates.com
General Description
Location: Gainesville, Florida
Date Bid: Mar 2007 Construction Period: Mar 2007 to Mar
2008
Total Square Feet: 15,489 Site: 1 acre.
Number of Buildings: One.
Building Size: First floor, 15,489; total, 15,489 square feet.
Building Height: First floor, 18’.
Basic Construction Type: Addition/Renovation/Type IIB.
Foundation: Cast-in-place, reinforced concrete, slab-on-grade.
Exterior Walls: CMU, brick. Roof: Built-up. Floors:
Concrete.
Interior Walls: CMU, metal stud drywall.
Construction Team
Structural, Mechanical & Electrical Engineer: Long & Associates
Architects/Engineers, Inc. - 4525 S. Manhattan Avenue, Tampa, FL 33611
General Contractor: The Alexander Group, LLC - 707 S. W. 20th
Street, Ocala, FL 34471
Civil Engineer: Dyer, Riddle, Mills & Precourt, Inc. - 4110 S. W.
34th Street, #8, Gainesville, FL 32608
The objective of this project was to convert a disjointed 1950s era
building into a technologically advanced, state-of-the-art media center.
The original structure featured low ceilings and few windows, creating a
dark and outdated space ill suited to the users' needs. The renovation
and addition of 4,500 square feet transformed the space into a
light-filled library and gathering space with increased patronage.
A significant decision was made early in the design phase to relocate
the existing entry, which faced the rear of a classroom building, to the
opposite side of the library. The new entrance is now positioned on the
campus mall, sharing frontage with the auditorium, administration,
cafeteria, and gymnasium buildings. This move reasserts the library's
importance on the campus. The repetition of classically proportioned
bays and a cantilevered roof system engages the mall and creates a
dynamic new exterior space. Brick columns offer an easily identifiable
point of access. The brickwork gives the building a timeless aesthetic
that relates to the rich palette of masonry found throughout the campus.
The new programmatic needs were seamlessly woven into the existing
shell. The remodeled building provides equipment storage, office space,
archival space, small group areas, computer stations, and a multimedia
presentation area. A new circulation desk welcomes visitors. Time zone
clocks create a backdrop, reminding students that knowledge and
technology make them citizens of the world now more than ever. The desk
location provides staff with a vantage point from which to monitor the
entire media center, as well as a central location to greet and direct
people.
Environmentally conscious decisions resulted in multiple energy and
money saving features. By maintaining over 75% of the existing walls and
columns, Long & Associates was able to reduce the cost, waste, and the
need for new material production. Careful attention to the roofing
design diminishes the heat island effect while glazing reduces solar
heat gain. New North facing glazing provides abundant natural light,
thus reducing the energy footprint of the building. During construction,
the contractor instituted a pollution control plan that encompassed
everything from site drainage to indoor air quality. The new addition
keeps development density high and existing bus lines guarantee
community connectivity.
North facing glazing in the new addition creates an open and airy space
filled with natural light, inviting students to gather and study. Steel
wide flange columns are left exposed but are softened with oak trim
running parallel to the web. The oak trim matches the library
furnishings, creating a cohesive environment. Exposed steel beams span
46 feet and cantilever 12 feet beyond the north wall. This blurs the
perception of interior and exterior space. Brick cavity wall
construction is an affordable solution that will withstand the region's
harsh climate.
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