Denver Arts and Technology Academy

Submitted by Hutton Ford Architects PC

In summer 2003, Mosaica Education Inc. of New York issued a design-build RFP for the development of its new $3.8 million charter school in Denver The owner's needs included a quality design, a budget that initially seemed much too low for the program and a total design-build schedule of only 16 months. In the spirit of true design-build contracts, this client got a better product, at a better price, in less time.

One of the goals of this design-build team was to redefine value-engineering into value-creation to give the owner more than it expected. The contractor and architect worked hand-in-hand throughout design and construction to ensure that the design met the budget. This process not only ensured a predictable bid amount but also deleted any need for the time-consuming bid addenda and re-design common to traditional design-bid-build.

Thanks to the team's efforts, the school will be occupied as scheduled and at a total construction budget of $93 a sq ft, $42 a sq ft below the Denver-metro average cost for a similar school facility.

The three-story facility - efficiently placed on its one-acre site directly east of the old Elitch Gardens at 38th and Tennyson Street - blends with the well-established neighborhood. Constructed of load-bearing, integrally colored and textured CMU at the educational areas and curtain wall at the main entry, the design integrates with the older homes as well as with the newer commercial developments nearby.

Although not a LEED-certified building, the design-build team incorporated as many sustainable features as possible within the limited construction budget. Using the LEED system to evaluate the project, many of the building's design elements would be recognized as significantly improving environmental performance.

Project Team

Owner: EFA Co. LLC
Design Team: Hutton Ford Architects PC, R&R Engineers-Surveyors Inc., Anchor Engineering & Inspection Inc., MKK Consulting Engineers Inc.
General Contractor: Ward Construction Co.
Major Subs: Carrasco-Kube Cement Contractors, Eatherton Masonry Inc., The Bauen Corp., Denver Drywall Co., Hi-Tech Electric Inc.

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