Randolph
Construction Progress
Photos...
August.....September.....October.....November
December.....January.....February
March.....April.....May...July
Click
on each month above to to see the progress photos for that month.
Progress
Report....
July
Report
Randolph
School is getting closer every day to once again being home
to students and staff. Staff members may be back in the school
by
August 18, just in time to settle in and prepare for this fall's
students!
The biggest jobs (fire sprinkling, heating/cooling systems, new
lighting) have been completed. These photos show the progress
that's
being made in the "finishing touches" to the school.
LPS workers are
refinishing woodwork and doors. New light fixtures have been
added
to the hallway intersections, and new carpeting and flooring is
being
installed.
Much work remains on the grounds. While the contractors will
"restore" the yard and surrounding area, replanting flowers,
bushes,
and keeping up the berms by the playground is up to us. Got
a green
thumb? Call the office (436-1163) to volunteer to help with
the
gardens.
Open House for students and their families is Thursday, August 25
from 6:00-7:30 p.m. The community is invited to an Open House/80th
Birthday Celebration on September 29 from 6-8:00 p.m.
Butterfly
Garden Help Needed!
We
are looking for volunteers to help with the clean up and replanting.
Please contact Michelle Scribner at the school number (436-1163)
to volunteer to help restore our butterfly garden! For more information
see the May Report below and/or click on the May Photos above!
Progress
Report....
May
Report
The
most noticeable change in Randolph School this month is the removal
of the chimney stack. Home to hundreds of chimney swifts over the
years, the chimney stack is no longer needed with the installation
of the efficient group loop heat pump system. A danger to maintain,
the chimney will be shortened to near roof level, and capped. The
profile of the school will look a bit different.
Do you want to learn more about chimney swifts? For
everyone who thought Randolph had bats in our chimney, do read up
on swifts.
Click on the Web address below or copy and paste it into your Web
Browswer:
http://www.audubon.org/bird/BoA/F5_G1a.html
Tuck pointing is being done on the exterior brick walls to maintain
their sturdiness and appearance. As shown in this photo, tuck pointing
is dusty work, but the results look spiffy.
Inside, work continues on connecting heating/cooling duct work,
finishing windows, putting in ceiling grids and pads, and painting
the classrooms. Work on flooring will begin next month.
Every day we're a day closer to moving back "home".
As the construction photos show, our butterfly garden space has
taken a beating during construction. It will take much work
to design and replant. Rebecca Arnold, local veterinarian
and master gardener, is doing the re-design work. Last fall,
Rebecca took many plants from the school's garden and "nurseried"
them in other gardeners' plots. We are looking for volunteers
to help with the clean up and replanting. Please contact Michelle
Scribner at the school number (436-1163) to volunteer to help restore
our butterfly garden!
April
Report
Spring has sprung at the real Randolph, 37th & D Streets. The
tulips planted by students 2 autumns ago are blooming, along with
our hopes to move back "home".
The new extension of the northwest entrance has completed stonework.
This is the original stonework on the 1926 entrance which was taken
off and affixed to the new entrance. Next is a shot of the
new extended ramp inside that entrance. Notice the pretty
updated doors on all Randolph entrances.
The fire sprinkler system is being installed throughout the building,
seen in the main hallways. Also note the new "cove"
lighting in the main hallways of the 1926 building. This feature
accentuates the barrel ceiling, and domes at hallway intersections.
Next, are photos looking north from the south stairs and from the
main hallway intersection.
The east wing rooms are being painted. The ceiling grids are
installed and ceiling panels will go up soon.
Room 200 is shown as an example of the use of existing air shafts
to house new duct work for the heat pumps. Notice, too, the
preparations for the installation of white boards, rather
than chalkboards.
The butterfly garden looks to be budding cement mixers and other
equipment this spring. In June, parents and volunteers will
work to begin restoring the garden under the supervision of Master
Gardener Becky Arnold. Get your green thumbs ready!
March Report
Building
for the Generations....
Randolph School will celebrate its 80th birthday when we return
for
classes in the fall of 2005. Of the many workers making the
renovations
a reality are a Randolph grandpa and a Randolph dad. Phil
Splichal is
the construction superintendent for the Randolph project.
He works for
Piedmont Construction Company. Phil's grandson, Kaine, is
currently at
5th grader who attends Randolph. Phil's other grandson, Brennan,
will
be a Randolph student this fall. Randolph dad Shawn Owen works
for
Falcon Heating and Air Conditioning on the Randolph remodeling.
Shawn's
son, Andrew, is a Randolph second grader. Shawn, Andrew, Brennan,
and
Kaine are pictured here in front of the new northwest entrance hall
to
our school. (Grandpa Phil was having knee surgery when this
photo was
snapped!)
The classroom shots this month show the computer lab without the
old
steam pipes overhead, as well as rooms in the east wing with their
new
windows and blinds. In rooms 118 and 126, the ceiling grid
is shown,
with the new duct work underneath. Ceiling tiles are the next
steps in
these east rooms.
The east wing also has a new entrance at the far east end, as seen
in
the photo. Speaking of entrances, look at the photos of the
lovely, new
exterior doors. The light color coordinates well with the
stone work
around each entrance, again restoring our school to its original
design
and "curb appeal".
All the heat pumps have to go somewhere! Former Randolph custodian,
Mel
Cramblett, is shown in the "tunnels" underneath Randolph
where the new
heat pumps are being installed to serve the first floor rooms.
Originally, the tunnels were constructed as part of the air handling
system for the 1926 building.
February
Report
Work
continues on the extended northwest entrance to the main
building. The extension has been enclosed and the gradually
declining ramp has been built. Looking west from the windows
of room
103, we see the north side of the entrance hall, and the mess of
a
butterfly garden! (Get ready for spring clean up and replanting!)
Another view of the new windows is shown in the bandroom, looking
out
the north windows.
In the east wing, where there was once an entrance between
Kindergarten and second grade, is now a mechanical room which houses
the heat pumps for each classroom.
Work continues on the gym ceiling, and the heat ducts. Notice
the
large ducts to the side of the stage are being drywalled.
The views from room 203 toward the east show the east wing's new
windows, and the trench (now filled) where piping was laid to connect
the well field for the geothermal heat pumps to the school building.
January
Report
Now
that the new windows are all in the Randolph School building, work
continues on the duct work for the heat pumps into each room. The
project installing an automatice fire sprinkler system is underway,
as are the preparations for new lighting and electrical. The east
wing's new roof is completed.
The most noticeable part of this renovation is now seen on the Northwest
corner of the school building. The ramp from the first floor to
the gym has been removed, the entrance hall extended to the west
edge of the gym, and the ramp is being rebuilt to be longer and
less steep. This is the only handicapped accessible access to the
gym, and the ramp must not exceed a certain pitch or grade. This
month's photos show the new Northwest entrance from the indoors
as well as the outdoors.
Spring is on its way, and we will need MANY volunteer hours to spruce
up our picnic area, berms full of plants, as well as the butterfly
garden. All of these areas have been adversely impacted by the construction
processes. Please be thinking about how and when you can help with
the restoration!
Think
Spring, Think Green!
November
The
most noticeable features of the Randolph remodeling this month is
the completed installation of the new windows. These Pella brand
windows are extremely energy efficient, replace the previous windows
with thermal panels, and restore the school's original look. Note
the additional daylight brought in to the east wing rooms, second
floor rooms, and gymnasium.
Replacing the boilers and steam radiators with energy efficient
heat pumps requires miles of duct work. Several photos show how
the contractors have wisely used existing "air shafts"
in the 1926 building to add the ducts without additional chases.
The photos of the gym and the office especially feature this work.
The heat pumps for the east wing will be housed in the former entrance
to the east wing, which has been bricked in on the exterior and
will have a pair of metal doors to the hallway. There are photos
showing the new mechanical room as well as the "new" wall
in Kindergarten room 123. The main building's heat pumps will be
housed in the sub basement tunnels for the first floor, and above
the second floor ceiling in an existing mechanical space. Photos
show how the main building's roof has been "raised" in
a 16'x30' section to gain the additional height needed for the heat
pumps. To access this "mezzanine", an enclosed metal staircase
was installed in room 203.
When the former entrance to the east wing was enclosed for a mechanical
space, a new entrance for the east wing was made in the far end
of the east wing by the current second grade rooms. See October's
photos for shots of that entrance, and the enclosing of the single
doors out of rooms 128 and 129. Another feature of enclosing the
former entrance was taking out a wall between rooms 127 and 125,
which was a 1/3 size classroom, to make another full size Kindergarten
room.
Work continues on the northwest ramp entrance to the gym and main
building. Next, the 169 wells in the lower playground will be connected
to the main building's mechanical room (formerly called the boiler
room) by pipes buried under the playground. In the photo of the
playground, you can see some of the equipment for that project already
in place on the playground.
Now that winter is here, our building is enclosed and secure while
the renovations continue.
|
|