LAUSD Belvedere Middle School Comprehensive Modernization
Project Name
Belvedere Middle School Comprehensive Modernization
Size (sq ft)
300,000
HEI Project Profile - Long
The project began as a design-build competition for the replacement of all existing buildings (except the auditorium) at Belvedere Middle School in East Los Angeles. The design team’s multi-phased approach significantly reduced the construction schedule by 16 months to 4.5 years, which was the fastest option compared to the other two teams. Phase 1 of the project involved the complete demolition of the southern portion of the campus. It proved to be very challenging from a utility standpoint, as most of the services came from the southern side. However, Henderson Engineers successfully coordinated the demolition while the school remained fully open and operational. Phase 2 consisted of new construction on the southern portion of the campus. Phase 3 included the demolition of the existing buildings on the northern portion of the campus, as well as the modernization of the existing auditorium building. The auditorium HVAC upgrades included a new heating hot water boiler plant in an expanded mechanical yard, serving a new custom air handling unit in the basement To meet LAUSD’s sustainability standards, at least 50% of the school’s electricity was required to come from on-site renewable energy. The design surpassed the minimum offset and allowed for a 60–70% offset. The team coordinated HVAC placement and distribution systems on the roof to accommodate sufficient space for the PV system, while also ensuring walking paths for facility personnel.