Master Planning and School Building

December 1, 2002
Patrick F. Bassett

The following outline indicates the key steps in the planning and execution of a school or campus building plan:

• Mission and Program Review: Refine and recommit to the mission and vision statements as well as the strategic plan of the school. These documents should guide all planning and be the theoretical blueprints for any building plan. Note especially challenges and opportunities of the uses of educational spaces, technology, and long-range development scenarios.
• Survey of Constituents: A survey is recommended to determine current satisfaction levels and areas needing improvement in program and operation, some of which may well have facilities ramifications.
• Building Feasibility Study: Assess the current facilities (or any facilities one is considering to purchase or lease) to determine the extent to which renovations and additions can meet the future needs of the program and vision as outlined above: inventory of current space; assessment of structural/mechanical condition of facilities; determination of current code issues; flexibility for future modifications and growth; etc. Develop a projection of square footage requirements based on per/pupil ratio (check on local code and public school requirements), multiplied by typical local construction costs per square foot. (See The National Clearinghouse for Educational Facilities website for current data on typical classroom and building sizes, constructions costs, etc.) For the project costs, multiply construction price times 130 percent, to include site development (not site purchase), architectural and engineering costs, fees for consulting services, furnishings, contingency budget, etc. Even if current class sizes are restricted to 15-20, figure on 25 per class times 30 square feet per pupil per self-contained classroom (i.e., 750-900 square feet per classroom), as a general rule of thumb. Multiply designated space requirements (classrooms, offices, gymnasium, library, cafeteria, etc.) times 125 percent at a minimum to determine total square footage inclusive of hallways, stairwells, storage, restrooms, etc. Realistically, school buildings cost in the neighborhood of some multiple of $1 million dollars, depending on the number of classrooms/facilities built. Square-foot-per-pupil totals for overall space in the public school domain (classroom, offices, libraries, gyms, storage, etc.) are 100' (elementary), 125' (middle school), 150' (secondary school), at a minimum. Current independent school standards frequently in the 175-250 square-foot-per-pupil range.
• Develop the Master Plan: Often schools hire a campus planner to develop a two- or three- dimensional plot plan of site and buildings. At this point, the school/campus planner would plan focus group discussions with faculty, trustees, and parents to explore varying priorities and preferences for space utilization, movement patterns, common spaces, etc. in an attempt to create structures that are reflective of the mission and culture of the school as well as meeting the projected needs of the program. A planning committee would also visit other schools that have recently completed construction projects to glean ideas and to discuss problems that arose in the process.
• Selection of an Architect: Determine a short list of prospective architectural firms, especially those with experience in school design and solicit interest, eventually inviting up to three firms to make a presentation before the planning committee. Two-hour interviews should address a firm's philosophy, examples of its work, fee structure, and general questions and answers: What are its trademark flourishes, the "catch your breath" touches (the Palladium entranceway, the corridor crannies, etc.)?
• Site Selection: Establish a site selection committee to secure a suitable site. ISM recommends a range of 40-100 acres to provide for the exigencies of the next 100 years. Schools that cannot afford the entire land package should secure an option and first right of refusal on contiguous acreage. Minimum requirements: 500 square feet per pupil for building site (i.e., including covered areas, courtyards, approachways, etc.). Site criteria include demographics of neighborhood and area, zoning and planning considerations, environmental matters (water table, soil samplings), utilities, road access, affordability, fire and police services, etc. The planning committee should camp out on the site for a day and night, just to get the feel of the location and to discern any unforeseen environmental factors.
• Building Interiors: Do substantial explorations of key interiors issues: wiring for the new technologies, acoustics, windows, lighting, color schemes, flooring, and furnishings. Remember to ask, "Who is the client?" as interior design decisions are made. Remember, the three most important design elements that are typically under-represented (and later regretted) are the following: provisions for technology, raw space/flexible space, and storage.
• Design-Testing: After another round of architect-lead focus group discussions, the architect creates preliminary drawings. The drawings become the basis of this stage of capital campaign fund raising.
• Fund Raising/Capitalizing: For start-up operations, as for established schools wishing to expand significantly, the typical pattern is for a small number of major donors or families to be the funding impetus behind the building plan, usually funding around one-third of the total costs (with outright gifts or with loans, the latter perhaps donated eventually). The remainder of the principal needed is typically generated by a combination of constituency-wide capital campaign, one-time capital assessments, and/or borrowing. Schools increasingly utilize publicly financed bonds as a very attractive borrowing option. (See the monograph on the NAIS website on Tax-Financed Bonds.)
• Construction Management: Consider employing an onsite construction manager as the interface among the architect, planning committee, and construction contractor, the overseer of the construction process in charge of schedule, quality control, site supervision, and budget.

Aside from the act of school foundation itself, the bricks and mortar work of building a school or major addition can be one of the most galvanizing and fulfilling activities of any school community, encouraging dialog, visioning of the future, stretching in terms of fund raising, and collaboration that can and should carry well beyond the physical manifestation of success, the new facility.

See also the on the NAIS website the monograph, Campus Planning.

Source: www.nais.org · Originally published by ISACS. Reprinted with permission. · Modified by NAIS December 2002.