Best Education Athletic Facility
Description
The Maize Performing Arts & Aquatics Center is an 88,000 square-foot complex for the Unified School District of Maize, Kansas. This facility was designed by SJCF Architecture, and consists of a performance stage, auditorium with a 2nd level balcony, and a full 16,000 square-foot Natatorium, including an Olympic size lap pool, upper-level grandstand, locker rooms, full mechanical room, and classrooms.
Project timeline
The erection of the precast, performed by Hutton Construction, was broken into 3 phases, requiring a total of just 26 crane days.
Key design features
To achieve the overall design intent, a hybrid structure of steel and precast concrete was used. The structural system was a combination of precast shear walls and frames. The precast shear walls utilized narrow wall segments grouped together in clusters made composite with welded shear flow connectors. The frame consisted of structural precast columns with an architectural finish and structural steel cross-bracing members welded to cast-in embeds.
Innovations using precast concrete
Overall, the architectural intent was achieved through the partnership of building materials and the coordination of contractors. This project is a prime example of the openness and adaptability that precast concrete can provide.
Precast concrete components
The precast manufacturer, Coreslab Structures Oklahoma, provided a variety of members including IT beams, columns, wall panels (among which are several 52 foot-tall, exterior, load-bearing shear walls), and last but certainly not least, 81 precast double tees, 24 of which are 48 inches deep, 8 feet wide, and one hundred and five feet long. These particular pieces were designed to allow for the long clear span required in the Natatorium building.
- Precast Manufacturer: Coreslab Structures (OKLA) Inc. – Oklahoma City, OK
- Precast Concrete Engineer: Pfeil Design – Tampa, FL
- Architect: SJCF Architecture – Wichita, KS
- General Contractor: Hutton Construction – Wichita, KS
- Engineer of Record: DWA Associates – Wichita, KS
- Owner: Unified School District #266 Maize Schools – Maize, KS
