PSBA’s 2008 School Design & Construction Conference
May 8-9, 2008

Pennsylvania Convention Center, Philadelphia

Conference offers quality educational sessions

This year’s School Design & Construction Conference will give attendees the opportunity to learn about school facilities design and construction themes in two general sessions and more breakout sessions than ever before.

A highlight at this year’s conference will be an exhibit featuring student architectural design submissions from all over Pennsylvania as part of the School Architectural Design Competition. Also, a superintendent track has been added this year to help chief school administrators who may never have been through a building project.

In addition, more than 40 industry professionals from architects to contractors will participate in an exhibit show. Attendees can meet with these exhibitors to discuss projects and make contacts.

Choose from these sessions to learn more about topics that relate to your district.

Educational Sessions

Thursday, 1-2:15 p.m.

• A Building Project – Now What Do I Do?
This session will give a superintendent’s perspective on the building/construction process. It will explain how superintendents collaborate with architects, planners, managers, contractors, municipalities and government agencies as well as the role of parents in the process.

• Bio Fuels the Future
Benton Area SD recently renovated two schools and has decided to construct a bio fuel facility between them as an alternative fuel source. The district worked with the local agricultural community to produce switchgrass that will fuel the facility. Benton Area researched and obtained grants for this unique alternative fuel source.

• Visualization: The New Frontier of Learning, Technology and Classroom Design
Information technology is shifting the way students learn – numbers and text are losing ground while images and videos gain importance. What does this mean for learning facilities and learning itself? Discover how “smart” classrooms support the new tools of visual learning.

• Building Your Team for Construction
Chambersburg Area SD is in the middle of a major construction and renovation period, funding $200 million in a 10-year period. The success of this program lies with the core construction team and its assigned responsibilities. Presenters will discuss this team approach and why it was and is so successful in the district.

• Voter Approval for School Construction: It Can Be Achieved!
Upper Dublin is, to date, the only district to successfully pass a debt act referendum. Learn how your district can be next. Listen to the process and how the different pieces of the puzzle all fit together to achieve a 63% “yes” vote for a new $119.2 million high school.

Thursday, 3-4:15 p.m.

• Successful School Construction Projects Do Not Happen by Accident … What’s Critical for Success?
This workshop is for administrators and board members who want to learn how to navigate the obstacles associated with school design and construction projects. Technical expertise can reduce or eliminate the problems that result in cost overruns, litigation, delays and negative public relations.

• A Practical Approach to Designing Safe, Secure and Sustainable Classrooms of the Future
Information technology, high-speed access and an awareness of future student knowledge are impacted greatly by the design of the individual classroom or school. Learn how to construct or modify buildings to prepare students with the skills and knowledge necessary to thrive in their world.

• LEED, Reimbursement and Life-cycle Costs
This session will discuss the fundamentals of the LEED point system, the increased reimbursement from the state when achieving a LEED Silver rating and the first costs versus the life-cycle costs to consider when determining whether to pursue a LEED Silver rating.

• Renovation Strategies for Creating High-Performance Schools: What is Old is New Again
In Philadelphia alone more than 90 schools, most of which continue in use today listed on the National Register were constructed between 1920 and 1940. This presentation will focus on recognizing the strategies the builders employed to create what we now term “high-performance” schools and reutilizing them in an integrated and cost-effective approach for renovation.

• How Innovative Curriculum Can Inform the Building Design
Springfield SD has implemented a curriculum that identifies individual educational needs for each student. Springfield currently is in the design phase of a K-1 Literacy Center specifically tailored to a “mass customization” style of curriculum. Learn how this curriculum is driving the facility design.

Friday, 9:15-10:30 a.m.

• PlanCon Overview
This session will provide an overview of Pennsylvania’s Planning and Construction Workbook (PlanCon) process used by school districts and career and technical centers to apply for school construction reimbursement.

• Effective Space Utilization of School Buildings
Whether your district is large or small, it may seem that there is never enough space. This session will explore a logical, collaborative and successful method of planning with various stakeholders to maximize space use while meeting educational goals and objectives.

• Multiple Projects, Architects and Primes in an Urban School District
This presentation will share a case study of the early stages of a $455 million comprehensive facilities plan underway in Allentown SD. The pros and cons of multiple-primes and the renovation of occupied buildings will be the primary focus.

• Quality Assurance Reviews: A Proactive Approach to Minimizing Change Orders
Many building owners save money on their construction projects by using independent quality-assurance reviews. Design and construction professionals can review architectural drawings and specifications before bidding and construction so that potential change orders can be identified and corrected with minimal cost impact.

• Renovations to Selinsgrove Elementary School
In conjunction with the Architectural Design Competition, this workshop will cover a real-life example of an existing Pennsylvania elementary school going through an addition and renovation. The speakers will outline the design phase and show how innovative green elements are being incorporated to meet LEED guidelines.