Superintendent Jeff Porter and architects preview progress on new Carolyn F. Small one‑campus project

Superintendent Jeff Porter opened the third episode of the Hard Hat Chats series with a construction update on the one‑campus project that will include a new Carolyn F. Small school and related campus improvements. The update highlighted recent progress on site work and design choices as the team moves through an 11‑phase construction schedule.

"We used a lot of 3D models," said architect Doug Breier of Steven Blat Architects, describing the team’s reliance on building information modeling (BIM) to coordinate drawings, phasing and contractor questions. Breier said the project’s contract documents include three volumes of drawings and roughly 1,200 pages of specifications, which the design team reviews continuously to reduce change orders.

Breier and the architects’ field representative, Greg Bousard, described several on‑site and phasing decisions: the maintenance building demolition and the turf field work were started early to avoid losing a sports season, parking and access roads have been reconfigured, and a small additional parcel of land was purchased so the design could fit on the site. "We were able to purchase another little triangle of land and that made the project work," Breier said.

The team also encountered a local regulatory constraint: a 25‑foot no‑dig zone adjacent to a cemetery. "Turns out there's a 25‑ft no dig zone. No, you can't disturb it," Breier said, and later added the town granted a waiver that reduced that restriction to 10 feet, allowing the site plan to proceed.

Design priorities for the elementary school, Breier said, include welcoming spaces scaled for young children, clear circulation, and flexibility for changing needs. Classrooms are arranged in pods and include small‑group and one‑on‑one rooms; window sills were lowered so small children can see outside. The structural design allows for vertical expansion later: the drawings include connection plates and columns sized so additional classrooms could be added above existing roofs if enrollment requires it.

On mechanical systems, Breier said the building will rely primarily on a ducted central heat‑pump system. "We ended up using heat pumps, which have become much more efficient recently," he said, adding the design includes a backup propane boiler for extreme cold or in the event the primary system cannot meet demand.

Food service will use a satellite kitchen with minimal on‑site cooking equipment; most meals will be prepared at the larger May Wilson kitchen and transported to the new school several times a day to be kept warm and served, the architects said.

Breier emphasized the architect’s role during construction administration: resolving discrepancies between documents and field conditions through daily coordination, weekly photo reports and frequent on‑site meetings with the owner and contractor. "It's a team effort," he said. The package of campus work includes a new facilities building, expanded parking, the astroturf field, the new one‑campus school, renovations at the May Wilson facility, and some off‑site sidewalk improvements paid for by the project.

The episode closed with a reminder that the campus project will affect more than a single building: shared facilities such as a performing arts center and athletic fields are intended to create efficiencies for parents and students. The hosts said the team expects the campus to look and operate very differently once all phases are finished.

The Hard Hat Chats host said the series will return with an episode focused on steel and heating systems.