Project Team
Owner: Orange County Public Schools, Orlando.
Contractor Manager: Beers Skanska, Orlando.

Howard Middle School in Orlando was designated as a "comprehensive needs" project, designed to expand and refurbish aging facilities and to bring the current facility up to code while including the latest innovations in information technologies, classroom planning and educational program requirements.

Due to the historical significance of the school and the surrounding Thornton Park neighborhood, the construction team was challenged to maintain and rejuvenate the exterior façade that required point and patching as well as preservation/replication of the terra cotta cornices, plinths, capstones, cartouches, column capitals/bases, and other original architectural features. Renovation was long overdue, as evidenced by the failing roof, exterior skin, and structural condemnation of building areas judged to be unfit for use by students and faculty.

The 155,000-sq.-ft. project sprawled across two city blocks. Original project scope included: the complete interior demolition and rebuilding of the main two-story classroom building, which was originally constructed in 1926; the addition of a second floor on top of the existing renovated cafeteria; complete renovation of a 1,000-seat auditorium; addition of a new science building tied to existing structures; replacement of the kitchen facilities; and the addition of a central energy plant.

The build-back was hampered by a myriad of unforeseen conditions, events and scope additions resulting in a 42-percent increase in the project budget. The team was challenged to keep the project progressing while discovering much of the first floor sub-floor and roof deck to be unsuitable due to termites, moisture intrusion and structural inadequacies. During demolition, the entire gravity-loaded masonry building was structurally re-evaluated resulting in the addition of steel wind bracing, wall opening supports, hurricane clips and complete roof-to-footing tie-down measures.

From the start of the project, the Beers Skanska-led team implemented measures to act as a good neighbor to the surrounding community. This meant team members attended neighborhood association meetings to inform the public and listen to concerns.

Another challenge faced by the team was the coordination and moving of existing equipment back into the renovated facility. The team had to plan well in advance in order to move the 900-student campus from temporary facilities to the renovated facility over the week of spring break. Moving companies, traffic control, phone-system switch over, kitchen equipment relocation and synchronization of the project team's activities with those of the owner's facilities staff.