Alachua Traffic and Safety School

Additional Info

Award Winner : M Space Holdings LLC

Architectural Excellence : The Alachua County School District in Florida needed a new facility to house its Drivers Education Program. The building was set at grade level on the North end of the Drivers Education Course with sidewalks and canopies. This allows the students to easily access the training course from the classrooms. The building consists of four simulator classrooms and administrative offices for the staff. High ceilings allow for excellent acoustics and the spacious classrooms provide plenty of room for the driving simulators to operate. The administrative offices are on the west end of the facility where the staff can closely monitor student traffic in and out of the property.

Cost Energy Effectiveness : M Space was awarded this project because it was able to provide a quality facility for the school district at a price lower than its competitors. M Space used standard materials that had the most value and reliability. In addition, M Space worked with the customer to increase building cost effectiveness and energy efficiency by obtaining a supplier upgrade to a reflective roof at no additional cost. The reflective roof works to keep the building cooler, and in turn, lowers the utility costs. The HVAC wall mount system that was installed is also energy efficient. The new 2007 Florida Energy requirements were scheduled to go into effect in March 2009 and there was a 120 day grace period for buildings sold before that date. Although this project was sold within the grace period, the build date exceeded it. M Space worked with the manufacturer to upgrade the facility in the middle of production to meet the new requirements at no additional cost to the customer.

Design Firm Name : Southeast Modular Manufacturing

Occupied Date : 9/21/2009

Production Start Date : 6/17/2009

Project Location City : Gainesville

Project Location State Name : FL

Technical Innovation : Each classroom is equipped with its own HVAC energy recovery, programmable T-Stats and fresh air intake controls. Since each classroom is able to control its own temperature, the school district saves money and conserves energy. The units can also be programmed to run only when students are in the classrooms. These units help the building to meet Florida’s new energy code that became effective in March 2009.

Total Square Feet : 7344