Architects interviewed for school renovations – Ledger Independent
Architects interviewed for school renovations Ledger Independent
Representatives from Sherman Carter Barnhart Architects pitch their proposal to the Lewis County school board Wednesday night. – Jonathan Wright, The Ledger IndependentVANCEBURG — The Lewis County Board of Education held a special meeting Wednesday to interview three architect companies for a number of renovation projects throughout the district.
Lewis County Superintendent Jamie Weddington said in October that the board approved the projects, which will make improvements to the district’s middle school and high school, as well as constructing a new central office.
“We’re going to interview three architects,” he said, “(the board) advertised for proposals and they’ve narrowed the field from nine to three, and they’ve got those three set up this evening.”
Among the three architect companies interviewing for this project are Sherman Carter Barnhart Architects, Clotfelter/SAMOKAR Architects, and Rosstarrant Architects, each based in Lexington.
For Lewis County High School, Weddington said renovations will include expanding the cafeteria kitchen and physical education area.
One of the main improvements is to the school’s restrooms and HVAC system, which Weddington said has gotten rather old and exceeded their lifespan. The project’s estimated cost will be approximately $5 million.
Similarly, the project for Lewis County Middle School will also focus on improving the building’s HVAC system and adding air conditioning to its gymnasium, as well as some restroom improvements and safety and security improvements. This project will cost around $4 million.
The third project will be the construction of a new central office, which will be located on LCHS’s campus instead of Lewis County Central Elementary School’s campus where it is currently located. Weddington said the new office will be a multi-use complex, a project estimated to cost $2.3 million.
For the interviews, representatives from each of the architect companies gave presentations to the board of possible plans for the projects, as well as answering any questions pertaining to the project or the company’s credentials.
“They’re basically being interviewed for the job, so they’ll present what their scope of work has been for other districts, and what their plans potentially are for our district,” Weddington said.
After viewing the three companies’ proposals, Board Chairman Bryan McRoberts said he and the other board members were very pleased with each group.
Among the main focuses the board had in mind for these renovations; particularly that of security of students and staying within budget, were pretty well adhered to by the architects.
“The interviews went really well — had a lot of good ideas and a lot of cost-saving ideas,” he said. “All three architects that we interviewed did an excellent job.“
McRoberts said a decision will be made between the architect companies at the school board’s regular meeting on Monday, Dec. 9.