Page 28 - School Planning & Management, October 2017

Building Blueprints { FACILITIES IN FOCUS }
Making Old New Agan
5 THINGS TO CONSIDER WHEN RENOVATING PERFORMING ARTS CENTERS by KRISTEN VAN ELDEN, CID, LEED-AP, ID+C AND EMILY KOCH
GIVEN THE BUDGET constraints being placed on academic facilities today, when
an existing performance space is sched- uled for a renovation on a campus, it is an opportunity to demonstrate
the value of the arts to
students and the extended
community. Similar to
public buildings in a city, a performing arts center on a campus reinforces the power of community — and sometimes is even utilized by the community for public performances. As a result, the facility itself needs to become a landmark on campus, demonstrating the support of the arts.
At Polytechnic High School in Long Beach, Calif., LPA worked with the district and a team of consultants to enhance their existing 34,000-square-foot auditorium
building with a seismic retrofit and accessi- bility, fire and life safety upgrades. Original- ly built in 1930, the building was recon- structed in 1934 in an Art Deco style, after the 1933 Long Beach earthquake. Working
with a historical consultant, modernizations to the nar- row balcony and main house floor improved supervision
of the space, acoustical properties and audi- ence sight lines. New seating was provided at the floor of the main house and the existing 1930s seats were refurbished and located at the stadium seating section of the house.
We have found that renovating exist- ing theaters and repurposing them to fit today’s performing needs can be an effec- tive way to meet both budget and program needs. Here are some elements to consider when renovating a performing arts center:
Use an Integrated Design Approach
There are countless factors to design- ing and building a theater, so getting key players together early in the design process is crucial for success. By gathering a team of designers, engineers, contractors and end users, you can identify the goals and priori- ties up front, resulting in cost and time sav- ings in the end. For example, acoustics — a central component to theaters — requires all parties to play a role and collaborate.
• Architects and interior designers con-
sider finish selections, volume and style
of the space.
• Mechanical engineers cover sound isola-
tion and HVAC delivery methods, affect-
ing the background noise level.
• Structural engineers lead the sound
isolation of partitions, floors and roof,
28 SCHOOL PLANNING & MANAGEMENT / OCTOBER 2017
WEBSPM.COM
AUDITORIUMS AND PERFORMANCE SPACES