Stevens Forest Elementary School

A Collaborative and Phased Design Approach

Steven Forest Elementary school, a public-school dating to the early 1970’s, was in dire need of an update. Our role involved providing design and documentation to facilitate a phased renovation while the school remained occupied. This would align the school with the new state Ed Specs and Howard County School System guidelines.

The program changes and additions were supported by a full MEP systems replacement, new lighting throughout, installing a new emergency generator and transfer switch, and new IT/Telecom cabling throughout.

In addition to meeting basic code requirements, we prioritized creating functional, well-proportioned corridors and circulation spines that would enhance the experience for students and staff. Recognizing that the success of a school design hinges on collaboration, we engaged various stakeholders in this process. This involved presenting the school design at multiple planning meetings attended by HCPSS construction and design teams, parents, and community members. Our team also maintaining an ongoing dialogue with the school principal and team leaders to continually refine the design.

Close collaboration with our project partners played a pivotal role in establishing the necessary phasing, staging areas, swing space, and making sure of the overall constructability. This collective effort was essential in accomplishing the successful transformation of the school.

Client / Owner

Howard County Public School System

Key Features

Key Feature

Total 56,481 sf, including modernized building, vestibule addition, a mechanical/electrical room addition, and a classroom addition

Awards / Recognition

Award / Recognition URL

LEED Silver

Architecture Services ProvidedArchitecture Design Building Envelope

Project Achievements

Every project we undertake serves as a wellspring of knowledge and experience, feeding our collective growth and paving the way to optimize outcomes, leverage efficiencies, foster collaboration, and advance innovation. Throughout the journey of this project, these accomplishments have been instrumental in its overall success and have fortified our collective expertise.

As the first project in the Howard County Public School Systems (HCPSS) to utilize separate prequalified engineers, our team made a strategic substitution with an MBE engineer, resulting in a saving of $40,000 in fees for HCPSS before the project commenced.
In addressing the programming objectives, our team presented alternative solutions that eliminated the necessity for extensive modifications to columns, beams, and footings.
Through a strategic redistribution of the student population, our team effectively reduced the reliance on portable classrooms from four to just one, thereby freeing up the three previously occupied units for other purposes and providing valuable space during the renovation process.