Month: July 2019
SPS Early Childhood Center -Under Budget!
Posted By Sapp Design – Jul 25 | 2019
Over the last 7 months, Sapp Design Architects and Paragon Architecture have been collaboratively designing Springfield Public Schools newest Early Childhood Center and are proud to announce that it recently bid well under budget!
The new Southwest Region Early Childhood Center is a 36,000 square foot new school facility for four and five-year-old students. This two-story building contains a rooftop deck play area, covered outdoor play areas, activity spaces, a STEM water table, a tornado safe room/ music and art room, a P.E. space, administrative space, a serving kitchen, and 12 classrooms with shared restrooms, storage, and offices between classroom pairs.
The building is situated on a sloping site overlooking South Creek, the South Creek Greenway Trail, and surrounding treeline. The natural features and restrictions of the site brought inspiration to the concept, the building located on the site and the building features. The concept was to design a building that is inspired by nature and becomes an inherent component of its context. The building emerges from the hillside and transcends into the tree canopy becoming an abstracted modern treehouse.
Liberty Branch Library
Posted By Sapp Design – Jul 15 | 2019
The new Liberty Branch Library will be about 18,000 square feet, around 1,000 square feet larger than the current building at 1000 Kent St. Construction is slated to begin at the end of the year and be completed in late 2020.
One of the design goals of the Liberty Branch is to create a natural feel to the building using natural color schemes and even a natural moss wall made from nonliving moss sourced from the United States in North, South Carolina, and Florida will be the centerpiece as you enter the new building. Large windows will allow natural light to flood the space and large covered seating areas allow patrons to read outside.
In an effort to make the children’s area more interactive, one wall will be a board with different sized pegs children can place and remove, Another unique feature is the area’s acoustic cloud-lined ceiling, providing for optimal sound manipulation.
The library will have all LED lighting, high-efficiency mechanical systems, dual flow water, low-flow toilet fixtures, and water bottle-filling fountain installations.
“We are creating a better space,” Community Relations and Planning Director Jim Staley said. “One that people want to spend time in.” ”
Design work for the Library’s Capital Plan is being completed by Sapp Design Architects and Helix Architecture + Design with JE Dunn assuming responsibility for construction contractor management
Sapp Design Opens KC, Office
Posted By Sapp Design – Jul 11 | 2019
Sapp Design Architects has officially expanded into the KC Market! Senior Project Manager Brad McKenzie from Springfield, Mo is leading the company’s new office located in downtown Kansas City’s Crossroads district. McKenzie will be leading the firms recruitment, business development and project management of several projects that are already underway in the greater metro area. The move for Sapp Design was one that had been driven by the firm’s past and present diverse workload in the Kansas City market and desire to expand our connection to the region.
The firm is currently working on 36 Public Libraries for Mid-Continent Public Libraries as part of a $113M bond issue, a new Library in Tonganoxie, Kansas, and planning a new 60 acre Municipal Complex for the City of Grain-Valley that includes a
PRESENTING ON SCHOOL SAFETY
Posted By Sapp Design – Jul 10 | 2019
The Sapp Design team was asked to present on school safety and our work on securing new and existing facilities at the MSBA’s 2019 Center for Education Safety. Our presentation focused on the challenges districts face in today’s world of protecting our kids and minimizing opportunities for an intruder to gain easy access into buildings. Our presentation will review different options to improve the safety and security of schools during school hours from unwanted intrusion without building a fortress. Key strategies and simple retrofits to existing buildings and smart design for new facilities that help keep our kids safe.
About the Center for Education Safety
Ensuring our public schools remain among the safest places for our students, faculty, staff, and visitors is a top priority for every school district. A safe and secure learning environment is essential for student success. However, our schools continue to face numerous safety and security issues for which they must be prepared so effective teaching and learning can take place.
The Missouri School Boards’ Association’s Center for Education Safety (CES) is the only statewide school safety organization in Missouri and is supported and operated solely by MSBA. The CES is dedicated to enhancing various aspects of emergency planning, preparedness, and safety and security in schools throughout Missouri. CES not only provides professional expertise through its staff on specific topics, it also serves as a clearinghouse for reliable school safety information and resources.