| |
Hi-Star Center for Children is a private school dedicated to serving the needs of developmentally and emotionally disabled children to provide an opportunity for these special needs children to become more self-sufficient. Hi Star provides this K-8 education through contracts with 21 Phoenix school districts.
Hi-Star quickly outgrew the portable buildings they leased from a Phoenix district school and began searching for a permanent location. Since Hi-Star students are from a wide geographic region, it was imperative their new school be centrally located. However, the few available centrally located lots presented development challenges, including:
- The lot was a long, narrow strip of land less than 100' X 1,200'.
- Numerous drainage issues severely restricted land use.
- The property was not zoned for commercial use, which was necessary for a private school.
- There had to be room for expansion — Hi-Star was at maximum capacity with a growing waiting list.
- The neighbors were vehemently opposed to development.
- There were specific design and building accommodations for special needs students.
- The school had to move out of its leased space and start school within 5 months!
|
|
Modular Technology's innovative solutions included:
- Designing a building that nestled into the awkward lot.
- Rechanneling drainage to the opposite end of the lot creating a landscaped retention pond and an attractive barrier between the school and an existing retail establishment.
- Petitioning and acquiring commercial zoning permits from the city.
- Planning for expansion at the start of the project.
- Presenting plans to the neighborhood association, inviting neighbors to hearings, and, in the end, winning praise from the same association for “improvement to the neighborhood”.
- Surpassing ADA safety requirements, including a safety fencing system that encloses children loading and unloading from buses.
- Selecting interior materials and finishes that effectively manage extreme wear and tear.
- Completing Hi-Star Center for Children at its new location in 4 months!
Hi-Star Center for Children, an 11,700 sq.ft. facility, features six classrooms, a library, multi-purpose room, and study lab. The proposed expansion includes converting the original facility into all classrooms and adding a 10,000 sq.ft. building housing:
- additional classrooms
- library
- multi-purpose room
- administration offices
- meeting rooms
- storage
School project links:
|
|
