FOREST PARK ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

Elementary SchoolLEE J. BROCKWAY AWARD

PGAL

2008 Exhibition of School Planning and Architecture

Forest Park Elementary School

Main Exterior Image

The cozy and inviting Forest Park Media Center

Community Environment:

The Forest Park Elementary School sits within a community just north of Woolbright Road in Boynton Beach, Florida.

This community over the past several years has come to be predominantly composed of people of Caribbean descent, which has provided an interesting milieu in which to design and construct this modernization project. PGAL took many of our aesthetic cues from the surrounding community and sought to provide a welcoming and open arrangement of buildings, replete with a large courtyard for school and community events.

Additionally, Forest Park Elementary houses a Beacon program for community outreach programs, resulting in a facility that is in use all day and into the evening with various programs. Programs specifically designed to assist parents and surrounding community members include classes addressing ESOL, parenting challenges, computer education, financial fitness (to assist in preparing first time homebuyers among other things), health education and GED preparation. These services are vital to the health and welfare of the Forest Park students and their families. Participation ranges from 25 to 75 attendees with services offered communicated through the school newsletter as well as registration information sent home with students.

Students and visitors at Forest Park Elementary are treated to a welcoming main office

Pre-K Learning Center

Learning Environment:

PGAL sought to provide a stimulating academic environment not only within the classrooms but within the support spaces, such as the Media Center and Multipurpose Dining Room.

Through use of a colorful array of building elements that reflect the school’s setting and engage the imagination, the design provides an inspiring learning environment.

This facility’s design also accommodates all of the School District of Palm Beach County’s (SDPBC) technological needs. Computer stations, multimedia support, document cameras, ceiling-mounted projectors and audio enhancement provide the students with a cutting edge facility creating additional learning opportunities.

Each classroom has been designed at the most basic level to have a wealth of daylight, flexible accommodations for teaching styles/arrangements, and all the necessary storage.

State-of-the-Art Media and Computer Center

Forest Park Elementary’s Main Entrance

Physical Environment

There were many physical site constraints that had to be accommodated in the design of this project. Three existing buildings on the site, as stipulated by SDPBC were to remain and be renovated or / remodeled as necessary. This existing site accommodates three existing well fields that had to be kept clear and clean as this is where the drinking water is tested and this posed limitations not only on the building locations but on the construction process as well. There were existing curb cuts for the bus loop and parent drop-off / pick-up queues that also needed to be maintained. The existing site had already been designed such that the drainage/run-off was directed to a large area to the south side of the site where play fields were located, thus further limiting the opportunities of where the new facility could be located.

It was with this set of challenges that a design was created that made use of the resulting proximity to the existing buildings to enhance the connectivity between the buildings, creating a courtyard that could also be used for educational purposes and tie the campus together in a comprehensive way.

A Multi-purpose Teaching/Courtyard Space Physical Environment – Continued

In providing this modernized educational facility, PGAL sought to reshape the existing school campus to improve circulation and safety. This reorganization also allowed for the better organization of the parents’ drop-off/pick-up loop, the bus loop, and the services drives makes for a safer, and more efficiently used, campus.

The building was designed so that its massing and scale would provide an appropriate setting for elementary school level learning while providing a stimulating environment. PGAL sought to provide a central courtyard to provide a place for student’s outdoor studies as well as a place to occasionally lunch with a parent. The buildings’ color palette is coordinated with SDPBC but PGAL also proposed a cool yet playful color palette with contrasts between smooth and rough texture finish on this tilt-up construction. Also, concrete louver and “eyebrow” elements were incorporated to provide depth on the buildings’ surfaces while also providing the necessary shade from the sun to minimize heat gain.

The landscape goal for Forest Park Elementary School provides aesthetically pleasing surroundings, which reflect the importance of the school within the neighborhood. This was accomplished by preserving and protecting existing vegetation where possible, enhancing existing vegetated areas, and replacing vegetation consistent with local community values and School Board requirements. The Landscape design complements the new building, as well as other structures within the limits of work. Principles of Crime Prevention through Environmental Design (CEPTD) were emphasized in the design.

Principal Brannon’s OfficePlanning Process: NarrativeIn working on the design for the Forest Park Elementary School Modernization project, PGAL and our team met with the necessary SDPBC personnel from program management, senior planning, interior design, school staff, end users and the SDPBC police department to provide the best possible facility design. The design team also met with the City’s agencies as well as ERM and other governmental agencies to ensure this project’s full compliance with all of the requisite entities.

Meeting and gathering data from all of the multiple user groups, owners and representatives required a great deal of attention and coordination. Ultimately melding the goals, needs and requirements of all of the groups into one functional, flexible and creative design solution was a hallmark of this successful project.

The Forest Park Elementary Modernization project entailed the demolition of a majority of the existing facility, which was mostly comprised of concrete block buildings over forty years old, to provide a modernized campus for this school. Therefore a large portion of the project involved new construction, with three existing classroom buildings remaining; two of which were built in the mid 1990’s and one that was built in 2002.

A Secure and Bright Walkway System Protects Students from South Florida’s Inclement WeatherPlanning Process: Continued

The Forest Park Elementary Modernization project’s budget was set at$19,069,642 to provide new construction of pre-kindergarten classrooms, kindergarten classrooms, primary and intermediate classrooms along with ESE classroom spaces. Supplemental classroom spaces, such as Skills Labs and Resource Rooms were provided. Facility support spaces (Administration, Media Center, Cafeteria, Teacher Planning areas, Physical Education areas, etc.) are also part of the new construction for this project. Upon completion there will be the provision of about 91,119 gross square feet of new construction on this 11.58 acre site (inclusive of the covered play area and chiller yard).

The existing classroom buildings provide a total of 33,218 gross square feet of construction. These buildings were renovated / remodeled as necessary but their basic functions remained as is.

The Construction Documents were completed in the spring of 2007, with construction commencing in the summer of 2007 and concluding in time to meet the Fall 2008 school year.

Exhibition of School Planning and Architecture 2008 Project Data

Submitting Firm : PGALProject Role ArchitectProject Contact Kari BotekTitle Senior Associate/Project ManagerAddress

791 Park of Commerce Blvd., Suite 400 City, State or Province, Country Boca Raton, FloridaPhoneJoint Partner Firm:Project Role N/AProject ContactTitleAddressCity, State or Province, CountryPhone

Other Firm:Project Role N/AProject ContactTitleAddressCity, State or Province, CountryPhone

Construction Firm: Moss & AssociatesProject Role Construction ManagersProject Contact Sherry WernerTitle Senior Project ManagerAddress 2101 North Andrews Avenue, Suite 300City, State or Province, Country Fort Lauderdale, FL 33311Phone 954.524.5677

Exhibition of School Planning and Architecture 2008 Project Details

Project Name  Forest Park Elementary School

City  Boynton Beach

State Florida

District Name  School District of Palm Beach County

Supt/President  Dr. Art Johnson, Ph.D.

Occupancy Date  August 2008

Grades Housed  Pre-K - 5

 

Capacity(Students)  798 (560 Core)

Site Size (acres)  11.58

Gross Area (sq. ft.)  93,611 SF New Construction/32,772 SF Remodeling

Per Occupant(pupil)  38 NSF Min/Pre-K, K-2 Grades

gross/net please indicate  32 NSF Min/Grades 3-5

 

Design and Build?  

If yes, Total Cost:  

Includes:  

 

If no,  

Site Development:  $3.6 million

Building Construction:  $17.5 million

Fixed Equipment:  $478,000.00

Other:  

 

Total:  $21,578,000.00

Forest Park Mission Statement

Forest Park aims to develop active, inquiring, and knowledgeable

lifelong learners who achieve high standards and who make a

difference through intercultural understanding and respect.

A Bold Entry Statement forForest Park Elementary

The Halls at Forest Park Elementary are Teaming with Natural Light

Forest Park Elementary Classrooms… Creative and Meaningful Learning Environments

The Forest Park Cafetorium Welcomes Diners and Encourages Performers

A Cheerful Respite forForest Park’s Teaching Team

Getting Down to Businessat Forest Park Elementary

…because when you’ve got to go …you’ve got to GO!

Let There be Music!

Safe & Secure…Playtime at Forest Park Elementary