Assumption Regional Catholic School, Galloway Township, N.J.
Posted
02/15/2012
Located in Galloway Township, N.J.,
the new pre-K through eighth grade Assumption Regional Catholic
School and accompanying parish replaced the original Church of the
Assumption and parish school. A design-build project with a two
part-building program, the school was designed by Manders/Merighi
Associates (now Manders Merighi Portadin Farrell Architects LLC),
Vineland, N.J. Stanker & Galetto, a Vineland-based contractor,
was selected to lead the project.
The Diocese of Camden adopted design-build project delivery to
maximize control over the elementary school's critical completion
date. The end product was a two-story, 60,000-square-foot building
that allowed for the later addition of a church. The building's
7,100-square-foot gymnasium utilized metal building systems from
Butler Manufacturing, Kansas City, Mo. Folding doors separate the
cafeteria and gymnasium, but when opened the spaces flow together
in one continuous space. The combined areas seated up to 750 at a
past event. When configured for cafeteria use, that portion of the
building has 26 round tables with seating for six students each and
operates over three lunch hours.
The school applied a hybrid mix of structural, roof and wall
materials. The main classroom area utilized conventional
load-bearing construction with a metal truss roof system. The walls
are made up of Hayden, Idaho-based Acsys Inc.'s preinsulated
Koreteck panel system with a stucco-like exterior finish. Solar
energy was also utilized as the students gained a firsthand view of
a photovoltaic solar energy system created over a retention basin
behind the church, an array of 2,912 solar panels that are 225-watt
polycrystalline modules.
The academic components of the spatial plan created eight
classrooms on the second floor assigned to the upper grades and 12
classrooms on the first level. There are also remedial and music
rooms, a media center, computer lab and science lab. Technologies
include 27 computer stations, Smart Boards, flat screen TVs and
parental online access for review of student grades and cafeteria
accounts. The new school continues to earn staff and parental
praise for the efficient design, costeffective construction and
operational efficiency.
Acsys Inc., www.acsys.net,
Butler Manufacturing, www.butlermfg.com