Banta River Island Elementary and Middle School, Phase I
Features & Highlights
- Six school buildings totaling more than 46,000-square-feet
- Overcame lack of utility access on site with creative scheduling
Project Overview
For the River Islands at Lathrop master-planned community, Sundt constructed the first phase of the new Banta Elementary and Middle School. The campus can accommodate up to 1,500 students, allowing the district to triple its current student population. Sundt constructed six buildings totaling more than 46,000 square feet on the 29.4-acre site. The campus features ample open space and outdoor courtyards where students can play, study and socialize. It also includes a large multipurpose room shared by the elementary school and middle school, foodservice area, and several large playgrounds and athletic fields.
Sundt overcame an unusual challenge to complete the first phase of the project: the housing development that would supply students to Banta had not been built, meaning until late into the project, there were no utilities. Without water, power, gas or telephone lines for most of construction, we had to re-sequence construction activities. Going outside of the usual order created more work initially, but it ultimately created the best outcome for the client. For example, painting interiors and installing the doors months before any other work on the interior could progress required touch-up to remove the dust blown in from surrounding fields. Then, while interiors were on hold, site work moved forward. Because of our team’s ability to adapt and problem solve, we were able to complete the school on time for the first 600 students arriving that fall.