Ramtech Constructs the Latest in Portable Classroom Design for Eanes (TX) ISD
MANSFIELD, Texas (PRWEB) January 23, 2019 -- Design-build modular construction firm Ramtech Building Systems of Mansfield, Texas recently completed two next generation portable classrooms for the Eanes Independent School District located in Austin, Texas. The innovative modular building project was a collaborative effort led by Pfluger Architects which began by using Ramtech's industry standard portable double classroom design. Interior and exterior modifications were then applied in order to create a new type of instructional environment referred to as a Learning Studio.
Ramtech manufactured and installed both buildings at the district's Cedar Creek Elementary school location. Each 1,536 square foot facility features a bank of three seven-foot tinted aluminum framed awning windows that allow for increased lighting and ventilation. The standard 2x4' box lighting was replaced with linear pendant fixtures that provide both direct and indirect light creating a more natural light quality. The typical wall-mounted through wall HVAC units that can create unwanted noise were replaced with split systems with a closet mounted air handler, outside condenser unit, and exposed spiral duct.
The interior space features smart boards on the walls and ample storage cabinetry in each Studio. The floor tile in the classroom space features J+J's Kinetex textile composite flooring which provides a soft-surface with the longevity performance of hard-surface flooring. The typical standard lay-in ceiling was removed to reveal a painted wood sloped ceiling from the roof line with an exposed truss. The typical restrooms in each classroom were also replaced with a single bathroom accessed from the common area between rooms which includes enough space for small office equipment and storage racks.
The exterior design of the Learning Studios allows for clustering of the buildings which makes a large exterior community courtyard possible. There are also oversized porches and stoops along with a connective decking system with seating steps that allows for student congregating or outside instruction. With school safety and security now of primary concern, the Learning Studio’s large windows allow for greater sightlines to monitor all movement around the area.
The genesis of the portable classroom redesign began when Pfluger Architects collaborated with an exploratory committee of school district officials, principals, and community members within Eanes ISD to evaluate the district wide use of facilities as they related to budgets, programs, and enrollment. Like many school districts in Texas and around the country, they found that a significant portion of their portables that are used to meet shifting enrollments on their campuses were over 40 years old. The goal for the Learning Studio was to create an instructional space that was equivalent or superior to a conventionally built classroom while providing an exceptional educational experience. A case study on the project is available for download on the Pfluger website
About Ramtech Building Systems
Since 1982 Mansfield, Texas-based Ramtech Building Systems has been providing innovative permanent modular construction and relocatable modular buildings to educational institutions, government agencies, healthcare providers, and Fortune 500 companies throughout the Southern United States. As a design-build construction company, Ramtech offers full in-house design, a manufacturer direct product, and complete site construction services all within a single-source provider solution. By emphasizing a value engineering approach, Ramtech has successfully completed over 4,000 total projects of diverse sizes across multiple industries. Their school project portfolio includes both relocatable buildings and facilities built using traditional pier and beam permanent modular construction and the company’s flagship Accelerated Building System slab-on-grade permanent modular construction. For more information, visit the company's website at RamtechModular.com.
Steve Sickman, Ramtech Building Systems, http://Ramtech Building Systems, 8174739376, [email protected]
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