Prior to the recent recession, approximately $20 billion was spent annually on new school construction, additions and renovations. As of 2011, that figure fell to just more than $12 billion, according to a report from Planning 4 Education. Like other construction sectors, educational facilities have felt the impact of delayed decisions and reduced funding. But all is not doom and gloom where education construction is concerned.
Dollars Spent
A separate report from Planning 4 Education notes that education building still ranks No. 1 in the nonresidential buildings market. Not to mention that $12 billion still represents a large investment into new construction. Construction companies should pursue education facility contracts when the opportunity arises. Construction dollars are being spent in three primary categories: new schools, additions and renovations. In 2011, the majority of funding ($6.9 billion) went into new school projects, while the remainder was split evenly between additions and renovations, at $2.6 billion each. That number is expected to skew even further toward new schools, with $7.2 billion spent on brand new facilities and only $1.6 billion and $1.4 billion allocated to additions and renovations, respectively. Nationally, budgets differ depending on region, with some areas of the United States seeing significant investments in education construction while others have more subdued activity. The biggest area of spending is the Texas-Louisiana-Oklahoma-Arkansas region, which accounts for $2 billion of school building dollars, equating to 16.7 percent of total national spending. The Arizona-California-Hawaii-Nevada district follows closely behind at $1.9 billion (16.1 percent). On the other end of the spectrum is the Colorado-Montana-New Mexico-North Dakota-South Dakota-Utah-Wyoming region, which is spending less than $500 million (4.1 percent of total national spending) on education construction projects—a $250 million drop compared to the previous year. The Iowa-Kansas-Missouri-Nebraska region showed a similar decline, spending only $539 million (4.4 percent). Investment in new school construction comes down to a number of factors, but ultimately is decided by public funding. As is the case with all publicly funded projects, new construction and renovation is determined by the budgets of the states in which the schools will be built. Politics play a pivotal role in securing funding for projects, with different regions often vying for limited state dollars to build schools in their areas or fund expansions. School construction also depends on the needs of communities: If one school happens to close, then others need to be expanded to compensate for shifting enrollment. These variables create huge disparities in spending among regions.
Unique Design Considerations
Regardless of how much is being invested into construction, contractors need to be aware of several key design considerations. In general, educational facilities tend to be more cookie-cutter than other, more complex project types, such as health care facilities. Still, there are several variables that could end up delaying projects and costing contractors millions of dollars if they aren’t carefully observed.
One of the biggest challenges for contractors is the availability of space. Elementary and high schools often must be built within certain zoning areas. This can create several design challenges, as contractors must build within the zone restrictions or physical limitations. In fact, some schools must even close because of these constraints, as they can’t expand or build additions in their existing location. This is less of an issue for colleges and universities, as they typically can purchase and acquire new land as necessary. Although scheduling is not specifically a design challenge, it’s also important to remember that educational facilities typically have strict time frames and deadlines for completion. Schools need to be ready for the first day of the predetermined school year. As contractors plan and design educational facilities, they need to keep these deadlines in mind. Going over schedule is not an option and, in many cases, can lead to fines and budgetary penalties.
Different Types of Educational Features
Schools can vary wildly depending on the audience for which they are designed. A college will have different buildings and needs than an elementary school. Additional unique features exist for private versus public versus religious institutions. The Planning 4 Education report makes specific note of these differences. For example, 100 percent of elementary schools completed in 2011 had a playground of some type. Compare this with high schools, where as few as 13.2 percent had any type of exterior (non-athletics) recreation area.
The top five additions for elementary schools, middle schools and high schools also vary. For instance, elementary schools focus on classrooms (63.6 percent), lavatories (41.6 percent), libraries (20.5 percent), gymnasiums (19.6 percent) and administrative offices (16.8 percent). Meanwhile, middle schools focus on classrooms (45.8 percent), lavatories (37.5 percent), gymnasiums (29.2 percent), science labs (19.4 percent) and music facilities (18.1 percent). Finally, high schools are constructing lavatories (40.2 percent), classrooms (40.2 percent), gymnasiums (21.3 percent), science labs (19 percent) and library/media centers (15.5 percent). Religious or private schools add additional facilities such as worship, lodging and major performing arts or specialty education needs that are trade specific.
The needs of individual educational facilities play a huge role in determining the best practice for construction. The builders must work with the school districts to identify these specific needs and provide solutions that fall within budget and schedule. Colleges and universities add another dimension to the construction challenges. Most have a specific focus or expertise, such as music, engineering, science, etc., that will require unique buildings with special room needs. Also, there are the standard needs of student union structures and sporting arenas.
Repetitive Design Features
Builders shouldn’t underestimate the complexities of school construction. Gone are the days when a school contained the stereotypical layout that calls for a central hall and two wings. Sometimes wings aren’t identical, but are mirrored or have other design differences. Underestimating these complexities can lead to critical mistakes that may result in going over budget and missing key milestones and deadlines.
Entering into a project assuming it will be full of repetitive floor plans and identical layouts is a risky approach. In the construction of schools, efficiency is critical. Automation of processes helps contractors win bids, create accurate estimates, stay on track within deadlines and budgets, save time and reduce costs. Being able to plot out key difficulties ahead of time is crucial to the identification and management of construction risks.
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