Pinellas School District

Additional Info

Award Winner : M Space Holdings LLC

Architectural Excellence : The Pinellas School District had to close several schools due to budgetary constraints. The students from these schools were transferred to other schools throughout the district, resulting in the need for additional permanent classroom space for the 2009 school year. Modular construction was the only construction method that could meet its short time frame. M Space provided the Pinellas School District with 50 side-stacking classrooms located at eight different schools. The 24' x 36' classrooms sit side-by-side on each of the campuses. There are 2 to 11 modules per school and M Space strategically placed them in between other buildings on campus so they appear to be part of the original school. Covered walkways at grade level allow students to easily transition between the original brick and mortar buildings and the modular complex.

Cost Energy Effectiveness : The modular classroom buildings were constructed to meet the new Florida Energy Code utilizing upgraded insulation and HVAC equipment, specifically the Bard hot-gas reheat of fresh air technology. The new Energy Code went into place in March 2009, so these are among the first classrooms to meet this code. The initial cost of the modular additions was well below that of conventional construction and the only method that would allow the classrooms to be designed, built and ready for occupancy in time for the 2009 school year.

Design Firm Name : Southeast Modular Manufacturing

Occupied Date : 8/24/2009

Production Start Date : 5/1/2009

Project Location City : Largo

Project Location State Name : FL

Technical Innovation : It was important to Pinellas that the new modular buildings blend with the existing campus, so M Space set the buildings in between existing campus structures. In order to accomplish this, a translift and bobcat were required to install the buildings in the small available land space at each site. Once on campus, the buildings were placed on permanent strip footer foundations that provided a stable platform for the new additions. To protect the existing buildings, the new classrooms were set 20 feet away from any existing structures and have one-hour firewalls. M Space was able to provide Pinellas with more buildings on each campus by using permanent side-stacking classrooms set within inches of each other.

Total Square Feet : 43200