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The development of Townline Elementary School in Vernon Hills was a three-year project. The addition of up to 1,200 students drove construction.
The design was intended to allow the facility to operate as two schools in one building with shared administrative, technical and cafeteria facilities.
The small site housed the original, 70-year-old building that was still being used prior to demolition. The new building and facilities are sandwiched between busy State Route 60, the existing middle school and the existing special education building.
As a result, the phasing of the excavation and erection was required and strained an already tight schedule.
The schedule was impacted further due to the discovery of an existing underground, high-voltage duct up to 7 ft. outside the easement. This necessitated the installation of sheeting and shoring to protect the bank while allowing construction of the garden level footing and walls.
The small site dictated that the large building be vertically oriented and include a garden level and three levels above ground.
The project included new paving, sidewalks and utilities up to the existing buildings' doorstep.
Despite these issues, the project was complete on time and budget.
Has Amenities
Unique elements include a garden level that houses two full-size gymnasia, two fitness rooms, cafeteria and music rooms.
A sloping, four-story curtain wall that encloses the cafeteria, administrative offices and media center overlooks an exterior plaza and theater. The main entries are accessed via two concrete pedestrian bridges that also overlook the plaza.
Structurally, the building combines reinforced concrete, steel, structural precast walls and floors, masonry and glass to accentuate the materials' strengths and aesthetics.
Several elements were incorporated to extend the facility's useful life and allow for ease of maintenance.
For example, building automation and security systems are linked to district facilities and can be controlled and monitored onsite or offsite. Embedded head tubing on the building's north side exterior concrete will eliminate ice build-up during the winter.
In addition, terrazzo was used to extend the flooring life as much as ten times over a conventional floor. An emergency generator serves life safety and critical building components in the event of a power outage.
The jury said, "It doesn't look like an elementary school. The site was tough in part because of an existing street. They had scheduling impacts and still completed the project on time."
Key Players
Owner:
Hawthorne School District No. 73, Vernon Hills
General Contractor:
IHC Construction Cos., Elgin
Architect:
Legat Architects, Inc., Waukegan
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