McCarthy Building Companies Completes Construction on Painted Hills Middle School

Oct. 19, 2011 - PRLog -- DESERT HOT SPRINGS, Calif.,—McCarthy Building Companies, Inc., one of Southern California’s preeminent builders specializing in educational facilities, recently completed construction on the new Palm Springs Unified School District’s (PSUSD) Painted Hills Middle School. The school opened to approximately 800 students and 35 faculty members on August 22, 2011.

Painted Hills Middle School is located on a 22-acre site at 9250 Sonora Drive in Desert Hot Springs.  The school is the fifth middle school in the district and is the first middle school to be constructed since James Workman Middle School opened in 1995. A part of the Measure T bond, the middle school was built to relieve overcrowding at Desert Springs Middle School.

McCarthy provided general contracting services for the $39.5 million project which included construction of a 138,000-square-foot school as well as extensive infrastructure work for electrical, drainage and water.  The firm also built the remaining road access to the site.

Designed by Ruhnau Ruhnau Clarke Associates of Riverside, Calif., Painted Hills Middle School is situated on a sloped site that offers picturesque mountain and valley views. The two-level school is composed of classroom wings joined by the central administration and library/media center.

“The vertical design of the two-level middle school provides a cost and environmentally efficient facility that promotes the physical, mental and social development of the students,” said Roger Clarke, principal with Ruhnau Ruhnau Clarke Associates.

An earth tone color-scheme highlights the exterior of Painted Hills Middle School, while vivid base tones of blues and browns adorn the interior.  Yellow, gold and orange tones at the entrances of the interior give a sense of orientation to those in the space. Bright graphics denote inspiration, discovery, appreciation and innovation helping to make the high traffic areas of the school not only energetic and pleasing, but also educational.  

“The new school is beautiful,” said Julie Arthur, PSUSD executive director of facilities planning. “The deep colors used on the walls, carpet and furniture provide such a warm and inviting atmosphere. In my 20 years of experience in facilities, I have never seen so many parents who have wanted to stay and tour the campus on the first day of school.”

The Painted Hills Middle School design is also environmentally efficient. Its sustainable features meet CHPS (Collaborative for High Performance Schools) certification requirements.  All of the colors, materials and finishes are environmentally friendly, thereby contributing to the health, efficiency, and overall comfort of its inhabitants. Other “green” features include: energy efficient plumbing and water systems; a cool roof with a single layer of thermoplastic membrane that provides a high level of solar reflectance; occupancy lighting sensors in all classrooms and offices; as well as energy efficient HVAC and lighting systems controlled by an energy management system (EMS) to minimize use during non-school hours.

McCarthy implemented environmentally friendly construction practices throughout the project including recycling construction waste and minimizing airborn dust by using water trucks, irrigation sprinklers and soil stabilizers.

A courtyard featuring an outdoor amphitheater and the covered lunch shelter is located in the center of the school.  The classrooms and labs are organized into interdisciplinary grade-level learning groups. Each classroom area is adjoined by shared small group instruction spaces and prep rooms for collaborative teaching opportunities.  Anchoring the courtyard, the multi-purpose room with attached food service and locker rooms, was designed for flexible use and function. To be utilized by both the student and community for assemblies, performances, dances, and indoor sports, the multi-purpose room includes a basketball court, telescopic seating area for 660 people and platform stage that opens outdoors into the attached covered lunch shelter.  Drama, band, and choir rooms are located nearby for direct access for performances.  Food service functions can also be utilized for after hour’s events.

To successfully address the school’s digital media arts and drama elective programs, the facility was designed with infrastructure to support a large computer lab housing 50 iMac computers used for digital media and other data intensive programs.  Additionally, the drama department is housed in a section of the facility that includes a stage with theatrical lighting and audio visual system, make-up and dressing rooms as well as storage for wardrobe and props.

According to McCarthy Project Manager Michael Viveros, the project’s most significant challenge occurred in the gymnasium building. “The gym was constructed with 40-foot tall wood-framed walls surrounding the indoor basketball court,” said Viveros.  “Because of the extreme weather conditions in the desert and the tendency for wood framing to bow or warp at longer lengths, we used Glu-Lam studs in lieu of 3x and 4x dimensional lumber and laminated strand lumber. The walls were fabricated and assembled in composite units laid down on the slab and then raised into place.  This solution reduced construction time and alleviated any rework to correct warping in the wood framing that would have likely occurred over time,” explained Viveros.

“Although the project provided some challenges, especially in this difficult economic environment, McCarthy’s expertise was helpful in keeping the project moving seamlessly and our beautiful new school was completed on-time,” said Arthur.

The Palm Springs Unified School District held a dedication ceremony to celebrate the new school on October 14, 2011.

About McCarthy Building Companies, Inc.

McCarthy Building Companies, Inc. is the nation’s 10th largest domestic general contractor (Engineering News-Record, May 2011) and the largest educational facilities builder in California (California Construction, April 2010). The firm has been building in the education market for the last 50 years. In addition to Newport Beach, McCarthy has offices in San Diego, Sacramento and San Francisco, Calif.; Phoenix; Las Vegas; St. Louis; Dallas; Houston and Atlanta.  More information about the company is available online at www.mccarthy.com.