Sam Bogle

Crossland Construction Back at Melissa ISD

Our Texas K12 Education Construction team is about to be hard at work on Melissa ISD campus again. After successfully delivering Melissa ISD High School Phase 2 additions and renovations in the spring and Willow Wood Elementary this summer, we’re excited to be back for the phase 3 CTE addition at the high school.

We’re big believers in taking a team approach to projects, so we’re looking forward to working with Melissa ISD leadership and WRA Architects.

We’ve completed 400+ Projects for 125 school districts, and we’ve never missed a first day of school! Our experienced team will proudly welcome students to their new CTE school in the winter of 2023.

Top 10 Trends In Education Design

We asked industry-leading K-12 architects about current education facility design trends – here are the Top 10 takeaways.

1. Flexibility in all aspects from classrooms and furniture to technology

2. Focus on student-centered collaboration spaces

3. More teachers using outdoor learning destinations

4. Climate, lighting, and connection to outdoors

5. Technology evolving to meet STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Math) learning

6. Supporting the use of technology from individual devices to immersive technology for presentation and display

7. Adding virtual learning spaces for individuals and groups

8. Making schools more secure without feeling intrusive

9. Utilizing ALL of the facility for learning, including the corridors

10. Micro learning environments that positively impact student behavior

THANK YOU, to the following people and firms
for their contributions to this article:

KKT Architects
Sarah Gould, AIA, A4LE
President & CEO

CGA Architects
Chad Greer, AIA, CPD
Principal Architect

DLR Group
Kevin Greischar, AIA
Principal

Hight Jackson Associates
Michelle McClaflin, AIA, NCARB, LEED AP BD+C
Vice President

Huckabee Inc.
Ken Kessler
Principal

Stantec
Brett Holzle, AIA
Principal
John Shriver, AIA, NCARB
Principal I North Texas Market Leader

WRA
Keith Anderson, AIA, NCARB
Principal

Crossland Takes Home ABC of OK Awards

ABC Oklahoma Chapter announced this year’s Excellence in Construction Award Winners. Crossland Construction took home three EIC awards for The District Commercial Development, Greenbay Packaging, and the Mustang Performing Arts Center. Crossland Heavy took home two EIC awards for Haikey Creek Activated Sludge and Pathway To Hope.

The Associated Builders and Contractors of Oklahoma Excellence in Construction Awards are designed to recognize and publicize outstanding projects built by members of the association. This recognition will bring about a greater awareness in our area of the quality of work being produced by merit shop contractors. And, by calling attention to the “best of the best”, we hope to continue to raise standards throughout the construction industry.

ABC of Oklahoma Award winners are recognized each year at the local awards celebration. All chapter winners are qualified to enter the ABC National Excellence in Construction awards program where the winning projects are honored at the association’s National Awards celebration.

City of Norman Breaks Ground On Norman Forward Senior Wellness Center

This article was originally written and published on City of Norman, OK website.

The center is a Norman Forward project – a voter-approved special sales tax initiative passed in 2015 – and is currently projected to cost $12.4 million, with $8.5 million funded by Norman Forward and $3.9 million coming from CARES Act funds. The City of Norman has signed a memorandum of understanding with Healthy Living & Fitness, Inc., a non-profit that currently operates the first MAPS 3 Senior Health and Wellness Center in Oklahoma City, to operate the center when it opens.

The 30,000 sq. ft. center is set to include an indoor walking track and multiple fitness areas with locker rooms, multipurpose and art specific classrooms as well as lounge areas, a full kitchen for events and programming, outdoor pickleball courts and a lap pool. The center will be membership based on a sliding scale so that residents of all socioeconomic levels may enjoy the facility.

Claire Dowers-Nichols, Executive Director of Healthy Living & Fitness, Inc. is eager to bring their successful wellness center model to Norman residents after exceeding expectations enough to require a center expansion in North Oklahoma City.

“There’s a need across the nation for innovative programming for active, older adults,” Dowers-Nichols said. “Programming at the new center in Norman will be member-driven and based on the six dimensions of wellness to include: Vocational, Emotional, Intellectual, Physical, Social, and Spiritual Wellness. We’ll be working with the community to find out how we can best serve their wellness needs.”

Mayor Breea Clark also shared that the center will provide a much-needed space for Norman’s active adults.

“I want to thank Norman residents for passing Norman Forward back in 2015 and being willing to provide valuable feedback during the design phases of this project,” Mayor Clark said. “This has truly been a community effort and hopefully residents will come out and celebrate getting work started on this exciting project!”

For more information, contact the Norman Parks and Recreation Department at 405-366-5472 or visit NormanForward.com.

We Are A Certified Accredited Quality Contractor

We are proud to be a certified Associated Builders and Contractors AQC (Accredited Quality Contractor) Contractor!

Our AQC Pledge:

“As an Accredited Quality Contractor, our company is committed to providing our clients with the highest quality construction services and we care deeply about our employees and the communities in which we build. We are proud to be part of the construction industry and are dedicated to the principle of free enterprise. We commit ourselves to serve our communities and to provide our employees with the skills they need to work safely and productively in order to meet the needs of our clients.”

Helping Build The Future

There is no better time than now to invest in school infrastructure.

Schools are the building blocks of our communities. They represent the hopes, dreams, and our future. School construction is some of the most rewarding work we do.

We can all agree that students and teachers need a safe, secure place to teach, learn, and grow. As technology evolves, so should our schools and classrooms.

Data shows that school conditions directly impact student attendance and performance. So investing in school infrastructure has benefits that reshape our society and our future.

K-12 SCHOOLS
The best school buildings are more than just physical structures—they provide safe and creative environments where our kids can thrive. When it comes to providing a safe and healthy environment for children, school leadership must consider many factors. Adequate spaces, natural light, well-functioning heating/cooling systems, clean water, and modern technology are just the start. These days public schools are also used as emergency shelters and resource facilities.

PLANNING FOR THE FUTURE
One vital takeaway from the Covid-19 pandemic is the importance of building ventilation. Proper HVAC has been a motivating factor for many school leaders to take action and invest in improving their school’s ventilation systems.

Here are a few other aspects that make up a quality school infrastructure:
A clean and well-organized environment that is conducive to learning
A structurally safe environment for students
State-of-the-art equipment and facilities

The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) estimates that only 65% of school districts have assessed their facilities within the past ten years. Planning is essential for long-term facility operations and maintenance.

HOW CAN WE HELP?
Crossland has experience building K-12 facilities and higher education on all scales and sizes. We have worked with over 125 school districts and have constructed over 400 school projects over the last 40 years. Our expert estimators and preconstruction teams help schools perform life-cycle cost analysis to help them plan better and allocate resources.

If you would like us to help provide construction cost for any upcoming school projects, contact us at k12construction@crossland.com. Read our latest edition of the Red Iron Magazine below.