Clark/Sullivan Construction and Architectural Nexus teamed-up to design-build this new 52,000 square-foot school for Roseville City School District, which will serve 800 students. Located in a 12-acre site on the west side of Roseville on the corner of Solaire Drive and Westbrook Drive, this brand-new campus consists of seven buildings, including four classroom buildings (grades 1-6), one kindergarten building, one administration and library building, and a multi-purpose building.

The project delivery process has included coordination with the Design-Build team, consultant team, design-build contracting partners, District, funding specialist, review agency (DSA) and associated utility agencies and the health department. In addition to the governing agency for this project, the Division of the State Architect, multiple other jurisdictional authorities were involved in the approval process. Those included the Placer County Health and Human Services Department (kitchen facility review), the City of Roseville (off-site utilities), and the local fire authority (fire marshal for the Roseville Fire Department).

The site layout, building program validation, building design and agency approval of this project met an aggressive schedule that was achievable because of the collaborative efforts of the school district, Clark/Sullivan, our major subcontractor trades and the Architectural Nexus A/E design team. Even with challenging construction industry conditions, the construction budget set by the district was met without sacrificing design or programmatic space. Open communications and dialogue, finding innovative solutions and creative problem-solving, and life cycle cost analyses were some of the key elements leading to the success of the project. All of the owner’s critical stakeholders were active, engaged participants throughout the process. This was followed through with efficient and timely decision-making by the entire project team when tasks and deadlines were assigned. With full participation, everyone was invested in a successful outcome.

While the owner is not pursuing certification using a sustainability rating system, the project incorporates best practices for sustainable and resilient design throughout, in both active and passive ways. Buildings are placed with consideration for solar orientation and prevailing winds, with overhangs that shade the structures in the warmer months but allow abundant daylight from windows throughout the year. The campus is all-electric; no gas-fired equipment is used in this project. Outdoors, planting was selected for climate and geography-appropriate species. The irrigation system is designed to save approximately 50% more water than what is allowed by the State of California currently. Energy and water use within the buildings are also carefully engineered to maintain stringent resource usage.