October 18, 2000

Mr. Robert E. Melican, Superintendent of Schools

Northborough/Southborough Regional School District

79 Bartlett Street

Northborough, MA 01532

Re: Algonquin Regional High School-Proposal

from Mr. Hendries and Mr. Halloran for Addition-Renovation Design

KA Project No. C9812.00

Dear Mr. Melican:

At a recent meeting of the Algonquin Planning Committee, I was given a conceptual design plan created by Mr. Hendries and Mr. Halloran showing how the existing Algonquin facility could be added to and selectively demolished and renovated as an alternative to building a new facility. Without time for study and consideration, I could not comment on the plan. At the next meeting, I did comment verbally and I want to take the opportunity of this correspondence to reiterate and expand on that commentary.

The greatest contributor to the construction cost and overall project cost is, obviously, the size of the project. All other factors being equal, a larger building will cost more, roughly by a set dollar amount per square foot. One of the purported advantages of the Hendries-Halloran plan was a much lower project cost derived from a building containing much less floor space. The important factor overlooked here is that the Department of Education has space standards which must be met, at least on a best efforts basis, for the project to qualify for funding under the Chapter 645 Program. The state allows an allocation of 155 square feet per pupil for high schools, 135 square feet per pupil for middle schools and 115 square feet per pupil for elementary schools. To offer a complete and contemporary education program we have consistently found that even the most efficient designs must contain more than the space calculated using this formula. Fortunately, the State also recognizes this and allows all areas dedicated wholly or partially to counseling, guidance, special education and community use to be excluded from the calculation and added to the total area of the building. Our experience is that a 15%-20% increase in the basic area allowed for student population is not only justifiable but necessary. Using the above numbers for a new 1600-pupil high school, the minimum floor area we would consider realistic is approximately 290,000 square feet. This is for new construction, which can be designed in the most efficient manner possible. For renovation or a combination of renovation and new construction, the floor area would be considerably greater to allow the same program, due to existing inefficiencies in layout and less than ideal relationships.

On the general subject of a renovation-addition design solution vs. a new-build solution, there is certainly reason to believe that the renovation-addition will be less expensive. The budget we developed for a renovate-add design, based on the original OMR program, totals $43, 465,000. This can be compared to the budget for our first-pass new-build design concept of $49,873,000 and to the refined new-build design concept budget of $47,292,800.

The Committee was presented with the above costs and certainly the lower cost renovate-add option was considered at length. However, the inherent problems of this solution were also discussed and the Committee's final decision was to recommend the new-build option. It was considered worth the additional cost to have a 100% new facilty, designed with the most current and appropriate materials, systems and features and planned optimally for a 21st century educational program. A further consideration was an increased assurance that a new-build project will present fewer problems and surprises and that it will allow both a more efficient design process and faster construction. Finally, a new-build solution will allow the current building and its surrounding site areas to remain fully in use during construction. There will be no interruption to the educational process, no danger to students or staff, no distractions or inconvenience. The value of these considerations is intangible but clearly large.
With all factors considered, the Committee's choice of new-build over add-renovate certainly appears justified in my opinion.

Very truly yours,

KEYES ASSOCIATES,

Robert B. Vogel, AIA

Partner

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