Richland High School Modular
Additional Info
Award Winner : Pacific Mobile Structures, Inc.
Design Firm Name : Design West Architects
Installer Firm Name : Pacific Mobile Structures, Inc.
Occupied Date : 8/1/2017
Production Start Date : 3/1/2017
Project Location City : Richland
Project Location State Name : WA
Total Square Feet : 17136
Owner Firm Name : Richland School District
Cost Energy Effectiveness : The School District opted to proceed with modular construction to meet the District’s strict timeline and budget constraints. With the use of modular construction, and the ability to have the modules 50 percent of the way complete before leaving the factory, the project was finalized before the beginning of the school year. The District did not incur any additional costs associated with having to place the students elsewhere while school was in session.
Pacific Mobile was responsible for both architectural design and construction. Due to its efficiency, the design-build method reduced construction costs for Richland School District. The structure was designed to be replicated many times over, instead of being a “one-off” custom design. This repeatability concept is comparable to the portable classroom, apart from the fact that it is multiple classrooms with an increased standard of quality. This design concept will further reduce the cost per square foot over time.
Architectural Excellence : Richland School District was in need of a single-story classroom facility that would accommodate both staff and students, and serve as a long-term solution to the District’s continual increase in student enrollment. There has been an increased demand to house students all under one roof, opposed to installing multiple portable classrooms.
The District desired to find a solution that would improve the student’s learning environment and to accommodate their need for more student safety and control. A multifaceted 17,136-square foot permanent modular classroom was designed and constructed, with a total of 12 large classrooms configured in a rectangular fashion and thoughtfully formulated to maximize student learning. A faculty workroom, office, student/faculty restrooms, storage room, custodial space and mechanical/electrical rooms were included in the structure to accommodate the District's space requirements.
Technical Innovation : Incorporating the facility into the existing Richland High School landscape proved challenging. Due to the door threshold being over six feet above the parking lot, concrete stairs had to be built to accommodate the change in elevation and efficiently support the building. Pacific Mobile produced sloped driveways, multi-use parking spaces, and contoured curbs, among other landscaping features to enhance the visual appeal of the building. A hinged roof system was designed and finished at the factory. The roof was shipped loose and then craned onto the building, resulting in a finished roof height of 20 feet from grade. Special audio and visual connections and teaching technologies were incorporated into each of the classrooms to help improve the students learning experience and engagement. Carpet was also installed throughout all classrooms to help minimize the travel of noise from classroom to classroom.