This 74,500-sq-ft LEED Silver school serves students ages 3-22 with severe special needs, including medically fragile children, providing tailored educational opportunities and instruction to increase their independence and improve quality of life.

Scope on this $38-million project included the planning, community engagement, procurement, design and construction of this new school, which features a 20,000-sq-ft shell for future school expansion that was fit-out for a one-of-a-kind partnership with the Comprehensive Care Clinic at Dell Children’s Hospital.

The CMAR effort spanned two phases, with the first including demolition of an old pre-K school and construction of the new school, shell space and sitework, while the second featured the clinic build-out. Vital to project success was understanding the end users and their specific needs; each key project team member spent time at the old school meeting students and staff to observe the learning process. During design, the city adopted the new Atlas 14 floodplain, which increased the 100-year floodplain and significantly reduced the developable area. The team adjusted the location of the building, reducing the size of the open play field and developing a suitable two-story building design.

In addition to energy efficiency, water use reduction, recycled materials and low VOC/emissions-compliant products, this building focuses on staff and student wellness with an abundance of natural daylight, clean and filtered outside air, and secure outdoor environments. This campus also underwent complete building envelope testing as well as extensive window leak testing.

Meanwhile, the Comprehensive Care Clinic contains multiple exam rooms along with a secure separate entrance to serve the community, in addition to its connection to the school with secure vestibule.