Project Description
Avon Community School Corporation was facing significant growth. With over 3,200 students and at capacity, Avon High School was not equipped to meet future growth needs and desired educational programs. Growth projections indicated the need for the high school to accommodate 4,000 students in the short term and up to 5,000 students over the long term. After a competitive selection process, Avon selected Performance Services as its design-build partner to develop solutions to its growth and programming needs.
Our team of architects and educational programmers carefully reviewed the school’s current and desired programs to understand critical needs and inform concept development for the expansion project. Our expert team of architects and engineers also reviewed all existing building components to better understand the stresses the school faced to ensure renovations and additions relieved problems with teaching areas, student circulation, and the ability to feed over 4,000 students. Because the site has limited space for building expansion, the team focused on developing efficient expansion solutions to maximize the number of sites available for parking and driving. Traffic circulation and the campus’s safety and security were carefully considered throughout the design process.
The final project design solution redevelops and reorients the main secure entrance to create a prominent and intuitive entry for visitors and students. This new entry relieves exterior congestion and improves internal circulation by establishing a new main east-west corridor. Coupled with an expanded existing north-south corridor, students and visitors will now be able to easily navigate through the expanded facility along this path to reach all of the academic areas and major program spaces of administration and student services, media center, auditorium, cafeteria, and main gymnasium. The expansion includes constructing multiple two-story additions, renovations to the original academic space, reorganization of program space to improve collaboration and educational delivery, carefully planned parking expansion, and improved traffic circulation. In addition to the challenge of expanding the high school, our engineering team analyzed the infrastructure of the original building to ensure existing systems were improved to meet the efficiency and air quality standards of the new construction.
The project is divided into four phases to ensure construction doesn’t impact the school’s instruction ability. Phased project highlights are detailed below.
Phase 1 Project Highlights
- Reinstate the OASIS Program (Orioles Alternative Setting in School) and integrate it within the Avon High School Campus
- Enhance the drop-off and pick-up area for OASIS students
- Create a play area for OASIS students and staff
- Increase bus parking capacity and improvements to entry and exit points for safer bus maneuverability
Phase 2 Project Highlights
- Construct a new main entrance, classroom additions, and fitness addition
- Create secure entrance points with a new reception area
- Construct additional science labs and general education classrooms
- Increase the number of student and staff restrooms
- Consolidate the administrative, guidance, and student services suite for improved communication and collaboration
- Expand the clinic to accommodate the growing student population
- Mechanical, electrical, and plumbing improvements to the building’s expansion and renovations
- Replace the original boilers with new high-efficiency boilers
- Replace original plumbing components such as water heaters and water softener systems
- Construct a new fitness center with classrooms, a wrestling room, and locker rooms
- Create a secure athletic entrance with a reception area
- Utilize enhanced graphics and branding throughout to showcase the mission, values, and Avon High School pride
Phase 3 Project Highlights
- Construct classroom additions and performing arts addition
- Create a new entry plaza for students, staff, and the community
- Modify the passing and stacking lanes to accommodate more vehicles during peak times, but ensure police and emergency vehicle access isn’t restricted
- Reconfigure the student parking lot to improve safety and traffic flow
- Improve outdoor lighting for added security and safety
- Renovate the existing administrative suite and guidance area to provide more classrooms in the center core of the building
- Widen the existing corridors to ease student congestion
- Create centralized special education offices
- Re-roof areas of the building
- Renovate classroom spaces that were a part of the original building
- Expand the online education and testing classrooms
- Create a new large group instruction space
Phase 4 Project Highlights
- Renovate the existing cafeteria and serving line
- Expand the cafeteria seating area to accommodate additional students
- Integrate new graphics and branding of the cafeteria space
- Improve student circulation by removing the existing staircase and section of walls
- Construct a new OZONE area for increased merchandise and school spirit wear
- Replace the sport floor in the main gym area
- Renovate the black box theater
- Renovate the athletic office suite area and physical education spaces
- Convert the old wrestling room into a dance and training room
- Create a satellite clinic area for quicker and expanded coverage during a medical event
- Renovate the existing cooler and freezer with additional high-density storage
- Repair the terrazzo flooring throughout the existing building
- Renovate the existing media center
