A Stitch in Time
Saving time and money with faclities studies

By Rodney S. Boynton, AIA, and Daniel W. Cecil, AIA, Harriman Associates

When a second-story window fell out of one of its oldest buildings, one city school district knew it could no longer postpone renovations. Another district decided it could no longer delay replacement of the trailers it had used for 10 years as "temporary" classrooms.

Strapped for money, these districts, like so many others, had postponed spending on their facilities. On a national level, the cumulative effect is staggering: The General Accounting Office estimates a need for a whopping $112 billion in school construction, but in 1994, less than $3.5 billion was actually spent.

In the constant juggling between funds for capital improvements and funds for educational programs, the programs may win -- but the facilities problems remain and often worsen.

Even if funds are available, however, the best option for dealing with a problem is not always clear. Is a new facility a better way to solve overcrowding than an addition to an existing building? Will a new heating system be a better choice than a retrofit to get greater efficiency? Should the solution be confined to the problem that made itself known, or are there other problems, related but yet unseen, that need attention?

The facts to make an informed decision can come from a facilities study -- an assessment of conditions in a building and an analysis of the building's fit to educational programs. It brings objectivity and order to a complex process, and saves time and money in the long run.

How studies are used

Types of studies

Assessing program fit with space

Facilities inventory
--Code compliance
--Condition of systems
--Energy efficiency

How studies are used
Schools have used facilities studies in many ways. A small rural high school used a study to decide whether it could continue to take tuition students from a neighboring town. Another school district developed a long-term maintenance plan after a facilities study provided an in- depth analysis of the district's six buildings. An urban district decided to renovate and expand two schools instead of building a new one after a facilities study showed that course was less expensive. And most districts find that an objective, fact-based study is an asset when funding referendums are put to the voters.
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Types of studies
Facilities studies for schools fall into two basic categories: those that address educational programs and their fit to the building, and those that evaluate the physical condition of the buildings themselves.

Deciding which type is needed or whether both types should be prepared requires, first, a clear understanding of the issues a school district is facing and what it wants to accomplish. Working with the district, an architect can then design a customized study directed at the problem that provides the facts needed to solve it.
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Assessing program fit with space
Change is inevitable. Even if enrollment in a district remains stable, there are likely to be shifts in age groups, or in the number and types of educational programs offered. And the drive to bring the latest technology to the classroom has dramatic implications.

School facilities must be able to accommodate the changes. A short-term solution must often be implemented -- squeezing a special-education class into an unused corner of the auditorium, or setting up trailer- classrooms on the grounds. But a long-term solution should be planned.

A facilities study focusing on educational programs compiles objective data on the way space is used, compares it with what is needed, and points out options.

The first step is a definition of the issues to be addressed or the problems to be solved. A district may know that it will run out of space in the future, but may want to know how long current facilities will be adequate before education quality is affected. It may want to know whether an expansion is needed, or whether a reorganization of existing space will suffice. Or it may know that more space is required, but may not be certain of the most cost-effective way to get it.

A variety of factors can be examined to get the answers. Determining how space is currently used is usually the starting point -- what subjects are being taught in what rooms to how many students throughout the day. Filling every room to capacity in every period may sound like the most efficient use of space, but that system doesn't provide enough flexibility for students to schedule the classes they need, and it adds to the normal wear and tear on the facility.

Special-education and upper-level classes often require smaller rooms than regular classes. If large rooms are underused, dividing them to accommodate the smaller classes will provide more space without the need for more building.

Creativity can also yield extra space. One school district was able to create a new art room by adding a sink in an underused classroom, and a music room by expanding into a hallway.

A district may also want to know whether there are variations in class schedules that might eliminate or postpone the need for expansion. A switch to a staggered class schedule might be possible, or to a block schedule with longer days and more periods. Some schools consider temporary increases in the student-to-teacher ratio, or having teachers "float" from room to room rather than conduct all their classes in one room. The space analysis will show whether those options can be considered.

The analysis can also show a district concerned with future growth how much space will be needed and when. It will examine both classroom needs and needs for auxiliary spaces such as the cafeteria, gymnasium, and library. And because costs for making changes are indicated in the study, the district has as a guide for budgeting and for planning how to phase in the action to be taken.
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Facilities inventory
The second type of facilities study -- an inventory of the facilities themselves -- also yields cost information that a district can use for planning and budgeting. This study is a detailed look at the condition of the facilities and includes information on how well various parts are working, what problems they have, what should be done to fix the problems, and what it will cost.

Often done in conjunction with an educational program study, an inventory alone is sometimes commissioned when a district is satisfied that space needs for programs are being met, but knows there are maintenance and repair problems to be addressed. More often, however, districts chose a combination of the two types of studies, since they are so closely linked.

Code compliance Code compliance is a common catalyst for a facilities inventory. The Americans with Disabilities Act mandates that schools develop a plan showing how and when their facilities will meet the act's requirements.

Compliance with other types of building and life-safety codes may also be a concern, since these change through the years. What may have been adequate when a building was constructed, may no longer be the standard, and substantial renovations to a building may in fact require that current codes be met. A facilities inventory can clearly show code problems and can suggest ways to deal with them.
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Condition of systems Although code compliance often drives the need for a study, many districts find it makes sense to expand the scope to get a more complete picture of their facilities. An inventory showing the condition of the building's major parts -- or systems -- is often included, for example. These include the structural system, consisting of the roof and various load-bearing elements; the mechanical system, consisting of the heating, ventilating, air conditioning, and plumbing components; and the electrical system as well as the interior and exterior finishes on walls and flooring and such elements as doors and windows.

Architects and engineers evaluate and describe each system and its components, noting age and condition, and calculate useful life remaining. A plan to handle major repairs over time can then be generated.
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Energy efficiency Calculations can also be made to determine how energy-efficient a facility is. Power and heating bills can show whether energy use is high or low compared to area standards. Determining the amount of insulation, and pinpointing areas where heat escapes can show where changes should be made, and the pay-back time to recoup the costs of making them can be calculated.

A composite picture of the overall condition of the building can be drawn, along with an estimate of its life expectancy -- information that is crucial for planning whether the facility is worth renovating.

Prioritizing the information in the inventory gives a school district the nucleus of a preventive maintenance plan to ensure that needed repairs are taken care of in a timely and cost-effective manner that heads off bigger problems in the future. Setting priorities shows which problems require immediate action and which can be postponed. And because the costs to remedy the problems are part of the analysis, an orderly method of dealing with them can be developed.

A facilities study is like the proverbial "stitch in time." The effort and money spent to prepare a study inevitably saves time and money in the long run -- and a district won't have to worry about falling windows.
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Written for American School & University magazine, August 1996