ARCHITECTURE • ENGINEERING • COMMUNICATIONS TECHNOLOGYAVIATION | CIVIL | CONSTRUCTION SERVICES | DATA SYSTEMS | ENVIRONMENTAL

FACILITIES ENGINEERING | GEOSPATIAL | NETWORKS | PUBLIC SAFETY | TRANSPORTATIONL.R. Kimball (SM) is a service mark of CDI-Infrastructure, LLC.

THE SITUATIONRichland School District, located in western Pennsylvania’s Cambria County, serves more than 1,600 students. In 2004, a specialized structural assessment of its 1960s-era middle school revealed that the school’s dox plank roofing structure was severely compromised. As follow-up, district administrators retained L.R. Kimball to conduct a district-wide feasibility study to evaluate the structure and other district buildings, and to guide the district as it considered its building options. Recognizing that new classroom-based technologies and student-centered learning environments were changing the face of education, the district chose to demolish its deteriorating middle school and combine its junior and senior high schools into a new, 21st century educational center. L.R. Kimball led the effort to design and construct the new school, which incorporated several sustainable principles. The 204,600 square foot facility opened in October, 2007 and continues to earn accolades from Pennsylvania’s educational community, district faculty and staff, parents, students and district taxpayers.

Project Overview CLIENT:Richland School District

GOAL:Design and construct a new Junior/Senior High School that combines the middle school and high school into one state-of-the-art learning center.

PROJECT INFO:Location: Johnstown, PACompletion: October 2007Cost: $35.3 Million204,600 SFCapacity: 1050 Students

L.R. KIMBALL SERVICES:• District-wide feasibility study• Architectural services• Mechanical, electrical,

plumbing and structural engineering

• Environmental engineering• Approval and permits• Landscape architecture• Interior design• Traffic design• Construction administration

Richland High School blends sustainable design principles with state-of-the-art educational resources

THE CHALLENGEFrom the start, L.R. Kimball enjoyed the full support of the district superintendent and the district’s Board of Directors. Through every phase of the analysis, design and building process, these decision makers maintained a clear project vision, and remained committed to creating a building of magnitude that would represent the best that education had to offer.However, to bring this vision to life, L.R. Kimball’s team of experienced educational specialists had to first overcome two key challenges:

• Integrate a proposed building equal to 1.5 football fields into a compact site that sloped downward from its high point more than 20 feet to the north and 30 feet to the south

• Determine and carry out the best use for the vacated high school

The Case for L.R. Kimball

Richland High School blends sustainable design principles with state-of-the-art educational resources

THE SOLUTIONBy combining the resources of nearly a dozen in-house architectural and engineering disciplines, L.R. Kimball experts developed a comprehensive architectural site and engineering strategy that considered every element of the project.

Making the Grade After a thorough site analysis, the L.R. Kimball team, led by LEED-AP architects, engineers and landscape architects, developed an innovative strategy that used the grade and vertical drop to the project’s advantage. By working with the grade instead of eliminating it, the team maintained the environmental integrity of the site while creating a multi-story structure characterized by:

• Upper and lower entrance points that provide safe, separate drop-off points for bus and carpool traffic

• 16’ floor-to-floor differentiations, creating open and airy spaces that studies show can improve student performance

• An east-west building orientation for the core classroom wing that capitalizes on abundant natural daylighting in entrances, classrooms, hallways and common spaces

• 206,400 square feet of state-of-the-art educational space neatly tucked into a hillside, successfully creating the illusion that the school has always been a part of the landscape

Building RenewalL.R. Kimball also oversaw the demolition of the existing middle school, including remediation of hazardous materials. However, demolition of the still-functional high school was not an option. Through its strong client relationships, L.R. Kimball linked school district officials with administrators from an area community college who were considering expansion in the Richland area. Although the former high school building would require renovations to meet the specific needs of the community college, college administrators liked what they saw. In 2007, the former Richland High School reopened as the main campus and administrative headquarters for Penn Highlands Community College.

Richland High School blends sustainable design principles with state-of-the-art educational resources

ARCHITECTURE • ENGINEERING • COMMUNICATIONS TECHNOLOGYAVIATION | CIVIL | CONSTRUCTION SERVICES | DATA SYSTEMS | ENVIRONMENTAL

FACILITIES ENGINEERING | GEOSPATIAL | NETWORKS | PUBLIC SAFETY | TRANSPORTATION

THE RESULTSThe new Richland Junior/Senior High School accommodates more than 800 students in grades 7 – 12 and includes several student-centered features including:

• Separate academic wings for grades 7 – 9 and 10 – 12• Technology-rich library and media center• Large group instruction room• Technology education labs• Family and consumer science lab• Food court-style kitchen and cafeteria• Conference meeting room supporting school and

community needs• Fine Arts wing, including a 900-seat auditorium with a

separate entrance and dedicated band, choral, music and art rooms

• Physical education suite with its own entrance, and a 1,300-seat competition gymnasium with a media balcony, auxiliary gym, locker rooms and a community fitness center

As part of L.R. Kimball’s total in-house design capacity, the company also provided civil engineering services for all site improvements, including:

• Roads• Surface parking• Storm water systems• Utility tie-ins• New competition field house

Football stadium improvements, including synthetic turf and a new stadium entrance, were also completed. All athletic facility improvements complement the school architecture, creating a cohesive campus where the buildings work together to provide balance and support.

www.lrkimball.com866.375.6812john.hummel@lrkimball.com

AE.A05.2010-07.CS009

Richland High School blends sustainable design principles with state-of-the-art educational resources

L.R. Kimball - A CDI CompanyEstablished in 1953, L.R. Kimball is among the nation’s leading professional service companies offering its clients architectural and structural, mechanical and electrical design services, security systems designs, civil, environmental and transportation engineering expertise, communications technology solutions and consulting. With a focus on targeted results, expertly managed, L.R. Kimball is committed to offering its diverse public and private-sector clients a tailored approach designed to meet their needs and budget requirements. Headquartered in Ebensburg, Pa., the company employs more than 550 people at 10 locations in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Texas, West Virginia, and Virginia.