New Builds + Renovations
Duncombe Elementary Fort Dodge, IA
Serving nearly 3,700 students from early childhood through grade 12, the Fort Dodge Community School District consists of seven buildings, including four elementary schools, a middle school, high school, and an early learning center. The District asked ISG to evaluate existing education facilities and develop a prioritized list of improvements, which would aid the School Board in determining major updates to be completed over the next ten years. In addition to the seven schools, the ISG team evaluated a transportation garage, stadium, and the administration building. For all sites, assessments focused on site, exterior, interior, structure, accessibility, safety, hazards, and mechanical and electrical systems. The report provided recommendations based on building physical needs, student safety, and community feedback. Recommendations were accompanied by probable costs and were organized by the immediacy of their implementation, such as if an issue needed completion within two years, between two and five, and beyond. The assessment unexpectedly condemned one of the elementary school buildings, resulting in an emergency relocation of students and classes to another facility over the summer. The new elementary school opened in 2018, and includes the design of a classroom pod format with a flexible teaching area for collaboration and group work spaces. Since it is a replacement of an existing building, it was essentially built on the same footprint. The multiple building facility assessment laid the groundwork for a successful $28.5 million bond referendum that funded the new elementary school, in addition to District-wide updates to the gymnasium, athletic field, and mechanical, electrical, and security systems. This multi-facility project strengthened community consensus around a shared vision for the District.
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Architecture + Engineering + Environmental + Planning | ISGInc.com
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