A complete rebuild of the Booker High School campus in Sarasota, Fla., required that construction activities safely co-exist with the activities of more than 1,000 students and staff over a three-year period. That meant scheduling heavy construction activities around major test periods and campus sporting events as well as rerouting utilities multiple times to accommodate the project's phasing.

Photo by Mark Borosch Photography
The Booker High School Rebuild, built by Willis A. Smith Construction, won an Award of Merit in the K-12 Schools category.

The project, which included 200,000 sq ft of new construction and 100,000 sq ft of renovations, meets Green Globes standards with an emphasis on water and energy efficiencies. Three "enhanced hurricane protection areas" can withstand 170-mile-per-hour winds, allowing the school to serve as a community storm shelter.

Award of Merit, K-12 Schools: Booker High School Rebuild, Sarasota, Fla.

Key Players

Contractor Willis A. Smith Construction Inc., Sarasota

Owner School Board of Sarasota County, Sarasota

Architect Harvard Jolly and Fawley Bryant Architects, Sarasota

Civil Engineer DMK Associates, Venice, Fla.

MEP Engineer Engineering Matrix, St. Petersburg, Fla.

Structural Engineer Universal Engineering Sciences, Sarasota