THE OPPORTUNITY

In an effort to promote higher education opportunities to students earlier in their educational career, the Monmouth County Vocational School District hired PS&S to provide Master Plan Services which included Predesign, Concept Design & Schematic Submission Services for the proposed Polytechnical High School. This facility is meant to incorporate educational programs from seven existing facilities and offer new educational programs for the vocational trades. The facility is being designed with educational partners, including the local community college where students will be able to earn college-level credits during their high school career. Educational programming, concept design, cost estimating, scheduling, and NJDOE schematic submission services will be provided as part of the professional services.

THE CHALLENGE

Determining the approximate building size for the new high-school is required to define the size of the site needed to accommodate the educational programs within the building itself and supporting facilities including parking, storm basin, and appropriate traffic circulation (vehicles and pedestrians) and proper buffers. Upon a site selection, educational programming can be advanced and allow concept planning to begin on the building. Cost estimating and development of an overall schedule timeline is required to ensure the budget and timeline goals required by the School District are being met.

THE PS&S SOLUTION

PS&S performed high-level programming to define a building size for the new high school, approximately 270,000 sf for 1,200 students. Based on this estimated building size, a site size was developed which ranged from 18 to 35 acres. The size varies depending on the supporting site activities required for the facility, such as athletic fields. The School District is in the process of formalizing a final site selection. Upon a final selection, this will allow detailed programming, a concept design for the site and building, cost estimating, scheduling, and NJDOE schematic submission efforts to progress.