Story

Crestwood Middle School received renovations and additions as a part of Kentwood’s district-wide construction program. This project was completed in four phases, allowing the school to remain in session throughout the entire construction process. A 65,000 sf addition created three new classroom wings, a band wing, laboratory classrooms, a new kitchen and cafeteria, and new administration area.

The most challenging aspect of this project was completing construction processes with minimal disruption to the school day. Each student and faculty member had to cross the construction area before entering the building. The entire front of the building had to be removed prior to adding the new classroom wings. Removing the front walls exposed the main hallway to the elements. To overcome this factor, Triangle erected a temporary hallway over 100 feet long. In order to meet fire safety requirements, the hallway was constructed complete with roof shingles, carpet, paint and lights to allow passage and maintain egress requirements.

Triangle also constructed a temporary parking lot and bus loop to allow site renovation of the existing areas without disruption of the school’s operations. Once the renovations were complete on one side of the site, construction was relocated to the other side. This allowed Triangle to continuously work on the 60-acre site without any delays to Crestwood Middle School.

All new mechanical and electrical units were added to the facility. A new geothermal heat system utilizes warm water from 100 wells drilled near the school to heat the entire facility. This environmentally friendly system will offer cost efficient heating for the school.