The ten phases for planning, programming, designing and constructing were successfully addressed as follows by Perkins Eastman the team who built the state-of-the-art Concordia International School in Shanghai.
1. Determine the principles and values of the community
From the outset, the Concordia International School aimed at providing educational opportunities from the pre-kindergarten level through 12 to, in addition to locals, mainly international students. The planning process for building the school centered on creating an institution which caters to the needs of this segment of students, keeping in their specific needs. The project was undertaken with the founders Christian principles and values in mind. The adoption of this planning process benefited the school by creating a community based learning center which, as their 2009 annual report claims, allows students to pursue excellencein a spiritual learning community. The community atmosphere is fostered by architectural choices such as the paired classrooms.
2. Develop a purpose for the physical learning environment
The physical learning environment provided at Concordia International School is of critical importance as the mission of the school is to nurture a community of racially mixed students and allow them to flourish, to quote the 2009 annual report again, in a nurturing environment that includes comprehensive and challenging opportunities in academics, creative arts, spirituality, athletics and extracurricular activities.
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The adoption of this phase of planning created the educational space that includes community learning classrooms, spacious studios for fine arts and sports infrastructure that the Concordia International School offers.
3. Examine the context
The context within which the school was created has been taken into consideration and incorporated in the designing and outlook of the institution. The Concordia International School aimed to be one of the few international schools in China and offer their potential students a more collaborative environment within which to work. Since the students range from locals to international students from different parts of the world, the oriental and western cultures had to be harmonized. The Concordia International School effectively implemented this planning phase by hiring a large number of experienced international teachers while at the same time making Mandarin compulsory through grade 7 and adopting a Chinese-based education (Concordia International School Annual Report, 2009)
4. Specify what is realistic, given the context, mission, values and beliefs
Given the fact that the goal of the founders of the Concordia International School was to establish Christian high school of repute, they have been realistic in their collaborative approach and struck a balance between the values of the mixed community that comprises the schools populace. The school endorses Christian ethics and its mission is to provide a holistic learning environment for students. In order to address the needs of all the staff and students, extreme measures could not have been adopted to appease either local elements or international ones. By taking this planning process into consideration, the Concordia International School has been able to provide an environment that meets global standards while acknowledging the local context in Shanghai at the same time. From an architectural point of view, there is no overt influence of Christianity like a Church.
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The Chinese-based education is not local-centric either the method of education is secular and global in every sense of the term.
5. Envision an alternative school environment that captures the surprise-free scenarios
Perkins Eastman considered a more open, spread out layout when initially designing the Concordia International School. The original design centered on a low-rise structure in keeping with the majority of schools in Shanghai. Due to the limited amount of land available to Eastman, sticking to this plan would mean cutting back on the available facilities in order to provide the students with the requisite amount of open space. In order to satisfy both these demands, Perkins Eastman designed an alternative plan which involved building upwards rather than outwards, hence optimizing the use of land as well as fulfilling the goals of the school. The adoption of this designing process gave the founders a choice as to which design to go with. The four storey elementary school block and the rooftop studio were made possible by the alternate design.
6. Select the best alternative
One of the main reasons for which the school was setup centered on making available a Christian school which was at par with any other international school in China. In order to achieve this end, it followed that all the facilities that one associates with schools of repute were to be made available to all the prospective students. Out of the two plans drawn up by Perkins Eastman, the second one which builds upwards was more suited to the needs of the school. With the selection of this design, Perkins Eastman was able to innovatively use building and outdoor space to optimally use the available land and provide state-of-the-art facilities to the schools prospective students. James Murdock (2008) points out some of the provisions of the innovative design
Architecture 4
Concordia features two playgrounds on the roof of the elementary school. Corridors, meanwhile, do double duty as social hubs and extra instruction areas
7. Program the best alternative
The whole process of designing the Concordia International School was undertaken and completed with a great deal of efficiency. After the design was picked, the 64,600 square foot elementary school, complete with a 24,000 square foot performing arts center was visualized and planned out before beginning construction of the elementary block. This allowed the school to open its doors in 2007 and gradually complete the rest of the campus. The efficiency of the construction process was largely made possible by the highly innovative design and economical use of space. The elementary school building has a number of well-mapped, innovative spaces such as the playgrounds on the terrace.
8. Complete final design and pre-construction activities
After the design of the school was modified to meet the founders vision, Perkins Eastman consulted several experts in order to complete the final design and begin pre-construction activities. Edwards and Zuck was consulted for MEP and fire protection, Theatre Projects for lighting, Jaffe Holden for acoustic, The PAC Group for project management. In addition to this, Shanghai Yangzijiang Group was hired as the general contractor. By hiring all these professionals, Perkins Eastman was able to use their expert opinion and guidance in their respective fields in designing the school. This phase in the planning process ensured that everything from the exit plans of the school to the size and acoustic treatment of their studio were all immaculately designed.
9. Construct the building
In order to efficiently complete the construction of the school, Concordia International School hired local construction professionals to carry out the task.
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Y Tong was hired for exterior masonry, Shanghai Huayuan New Composite for exterior metal, Beijing Kalairuiyu Waterproofing Materials for roofing and Pilkington for glazing. The adoption of this phase of planning made it possible for the 64,600 square foot elementary building, complete with a 24,000 square foot rooftop studio to be built in a short span of 18 months.
10. Occupy the building
The new facility of the Concordia International School was occupied and opened to public in 2007.
The following basic generic milestones of planning a capital project were achieved by Concordia High School
1. Being the planning process The initial plans for Concordia High School were begun in 1998.
2. Forecast student enrollment The estimated student enrollment was forecasted and expected to consist of a large number of foreign nationals.
3. Determine educational feasibility The educational feasibility was examined by the founders who felt the need for a Christian school of high repute in Shanghai.
4. Establish architectural feasibility Eastman designed the architecturally feasible new phase of the school after being confronted by space constraints.
5. Prioritize needs The founder understood the need for a school which could match up with other international schools and hence gave priority to infrastructural quality and educational standards.
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6. Adopt findings of the needs assessment The findings of the needs assessment were taken into consideration and adopted when designing the new phase of the school.
7. Choose to build a new school or renovate existing structures Concordia International School built a new phase which included the High School and the Elementary section.
8. Develop capital budget Concordia budgeted well and made use of the cheap labor pool available in China to increase the construction budget. The elementary school building cost them around 15 million.
9. Acquire financing for the project Concordia International School is self-funding but the initial costs were borne by the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod.
10. Appoint the school principals Concordia International School hired Louise Schini Weber as the Elementary School Principal, Mark Lewis as the Middle School Principal and David Harris as the High School Principal.
11. Select architectural firm Perkins Eastman was hired to undertake the job of designing the new phase of the school.
12. Design the school After coming up with a more spread out design initially, Perkins Eastman designed a more space efficient design by building upwards.
13. Stipulate the needed school furniture The furniture design was also handled by the Perkins Eastman design team, Mark Markiewicz, John Neary, John Dias, Paul Chen and Mary Ye.
14. Select the construction manager PAC Group was hired to manage the construction of the building.
15. Schedule the project The construction was scheduled to begin roughly 18 months before the school was opened to public in July, 2007.
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16. Obtain 35 cost estimates The entire cost of the project was estimated to be within 15 million dollars by the engineers.
17. Prepare final construction documents The PAC Group handled the preparation of construction documents.
18 Secure final cost estimate The final cost estimate was around 13 million dollars.
19 Advertise bids for construction PAC Group was short listed as one of the possible candidates for supervising the construction.
20. Receive bids for construction Concordia received a number of bids from various construction companies in Shanghai.
21. Award construction contract The construction contract was awarded to PAC Group.
22. Obtain permits to begin construction Concordia International School obtained permits from the Shanghai Municipal body before beginning construction.
23. Advertise bids for school furniture Bids were sent out to furniture companies for the different kinds of furniture needed for the school.
24. Receive bids for furniture A number of bids were received from companies like Fomax, Playco and Matsu.
25. Construct the school Overseen by Perkins Eastman and the PAC Group, construction was begun and eventually completed in 18 months.
26. Monitor construction program The construction program was monitored by Perkins Eastman and the PAC Group.
27. Install school furniture The job of designing the interiors of the schools and installing the furniture was undertaken by Perkins Eastman.
28. Complete punch list A punch list was drawn up and completed by PAC Group.
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29. Accept the school Perkins Eastman verified that the construction was in step with the design and accepted it.
30. Orient school staff and community to building A walk-around was conducted by Perkins Eastman to orient the school staff and community to the new building.
31. Evaluate the school planning, design and construction Concordia International School evaluated and examined the construction and design of the school.
32. Complete warranty inspection A warranty inspection was completed by Concordia International School before the expiration of the warranty period provided by PAC Group and the various other companies hired for roofing, glazing etc.
1. Determine the principles and values of the community
From the outset, the Concordia International School aimed at providing educational opportunities from the pre-kindergarten level through 12 to, in addition to locals, mainly international students. The planning process for building the school centered on creating an institution which caters to the needs of this segment of students, keeping in their specific needs. The project was undertaken with the founders Christian principles and values in mind. The adoption of this planning process benefited the school by creating a community based learning center which, as their 2009 annual report claims, allows students to pursue excellencein a spiritual learning community. The community atmosphere is fostered by architectural choices such as the paired classrooms.
2. Develop a purpose for the physical learning environment
The physical learning environment provided at Concordia International School is of critical importance as the mission of the school is to nurture a community of racially mixed students and allow them to flourish, to quote the 2009 annual report again, in a nurturing environment that includes comprehensive and challenging opportunities in academics, creative arts, spirituality, athletics and extracurricular activities.
Architecture 2
The adoption of this phase of planning created the educational space that includes community learning classrooms, spacious studios for fine arts and sports infrastructure that the Concordia International School offers.
3. Examine the context
The context within which the school was created has been taken into consideration and incorporated in the designing and outlook of the institution. The Concordia International School aimed to be one of the few international schools in China and offer their potential students a more collaborative environment within which to work. Since the students range from locals to international students from different parts of the world, the oriental and western cultures had to be harmonized. The Concordia International School effectively implemented this planning phase by hiring a large number of experienced international teachers while at the same time making Mandarin compulsory through grade 7 and adopting a Chinese-based education (Concordia International School Annual Report, 2009)
4. Specify what is realistic, given the context, mission, values and beliefs
Given the fact that the goal of the founders of the Concordia International School was to establish Christian high school of repute, they have been realistic in their collaborative approach and struck a balance between the values of the mixed community that comprises the schools populace. The school endorses Christian ethics and its mission is to provide a holistic learning environment for students. In order to address the needs of all the staff and students, extreme measures could not have been adopted to appease either local elements or international ones. By taking this planning process into consideration, the Concordia International School has been able to provide an environment that meets global standards while acknowledging the local context in Shanghai at the same time. From an architectural point of view, there is no overt influence of Christianity like a Church.
Architecture 3
The Chinese-based education is not local-centric either the method of education is secular and global in every sense of the term.
5. Envision an alternative school environment that captures the surprise-free scenarios
Perkins Eastman considered a more open, spread out layout when initially designing the Concordia International School. The original design centered on a low-rise structure in keeping with the majority of schools in Shanghai. Due to the limited amount of land available to Eastman, sticking to this plan would mean cutting back on the available facilities in order to provide the students with the requisite amount of open space. In order to satisfy both these demands, Perkins Eastman designed an alternative plan which involved building upwards rather than outwards, hence optimizing the use of land as well as fulfilling the goals of the school. The adoption of this designing process gave the founders a choice as to which design to go with. The four storey elementary school block and the rooftop studio were made possible by the alternate design.
6. Select the best alternative
One of the main reasons for which the school was setup centered on making available a Christian school which was at par with any other international school in China. In order to achieve this end, it followed that all the facilities that one associates with schools of repute were to be made available to all the prospective students. Out of the two plans drawn up by Perkins Eastman, the second one which builds upwards was more suited to the needs of the school. With the selection of this design, Perkins Eastman was able to innovatively use building and outdoor space to optimally use the available land and provide state-of-the-art facilities to the schools prospective students. James Murdock (2008) points out some of the provisions of the innovative design
Architecture 4
Concordia features two playgrounds on the roof of the elementary school. Corridors, meanwhile, do double duty as social hubs and extra instruction areas
7. Program the best alternative
The whole process of designing the Concordia International School was undertaken and completed with a great deal of efficiency. After the design was picked, the 64,600 square foot elementary school, complete with a 24,000 square foot performing arts center was visualized and planned out before beginning construction of the elementary block. This allowed the school to open its doors in 2007 and gradually complete the rest of the campus. The efficiency of the construction process was largely made possible by the highly innovative design and economical use of space. The elementary school building has a number of well-mapped, innovative spaces such as the playgrounds on the terrace.
8. Complete final design and pre-construction activities
After the design of the school was modified to meet the founders vision, Perkins Eastman consulted several experts in order to complete the final design and begin pre-construction activities. Edwards and Zuck was consulted for MEP and fire protection, Theatre Projects for lighting, Jaffe Holden for acoustic, The PAC Group for project management. In addition to this, Shanghai Yangzijiang Group was hired as the general contractor. By hiring all these professionals, Perkins Eastman was able to use their expert opinion and guidance in their respective fields in designing the school. This phase in the planning process ensured that everything from the exit plans of the school to the size and acoustic treatment of their studio were all immaculately designed.
9. Construct the building
In order to efficiently complete the construction of the school, Concordia International School hired local construction professionals to carry out the task.
Architecture 5
Y Tong was hired for exterior masonry, Shanghai Huayuan New Composite for exterior metal, Beijing Kalairuiyu Waterproofing Materials for roofing and Pilkington for glazing. The adoption of this phase of planning made it possible for the 64,600 square foot elementary building, complete with a 24,000 square foot rooftop studio to be built in a short span of 18 months.
10. Occupy the building
The new facility of the Concordia International School was occupied and opened to public in 2007.
The following basic generic milestones of planning a capital project were achieved by Concordia High School
1. Being the planning process The initial plans for Concordia High School were begun in 1998.
2. Forecast student enrollment The estimated student enrollment was forecasted and expected to consist of a large number of foreign nationals.
3. Determine educational feasibility The educational feasibility was examined by the founders who felt the need for a Christian school of high repute in Shanghai.
4. Establish architectural feasibility Eastman designed the architecturally feasible new phase of the school after being confronted by space constraints.
5. Prioritize needs The founder understood the need for a school which could match up with other international schools and hence gave priority to infrastructural quality and educational standards.
Architecture 6
6. Adopt findings of the needs assessment The findings of the needs assessment were taken into consideration and adopted when designing the new phase of the school.
7. Choose to build a new school or renovate existing structures Concordia International School built a new phase which included the High School and the Elementary section.
8. Develop capital budget Concordia budgeted well and made use of the cheap labor pool available in China to increase the construction budget. The elementary school building cost them around 15 million.
9. Acquire financing for the project Concordia International School is self-funding but the initial costs were borne by the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod.
10. Appoint the school principals Concordia International School hired Louise Schini Weber as the Elementary School Principal, Mark Lewis as the Middle School Principal and David Harris as the High School Principal.
11. Select architectural firm Perkins Eastman was hired to undertake the job of designing the new phase of the school.
12. Design the school After coming up with a more spread out design initially, Perkins Eastman designed a more space efficient design by building upwards.
13. Stipulate the needed school furniture The furniture design was also handled by the Perkins Eastman design team, Mark Markiewicz, John Neary, John Dias, Paul Chen and Mary Ye.
14. Select the construction manager PAC Group was hired to manage the construction of the building.
15. Schedule the project The construction was scheduled to begin roughly 18 months before the school was opened to public in July, 2007.
Architecture 7
16. Obtain 35 cost estimates The entire cost of the project was estimated to be within 15 million dollars by the engineers.
17. Prepare final construction documents The PAC Group handled the preparation of construction documents.
18 Secure final cost estimate The final cost estimate was around 13 million dollars.
19 Advertise bids for construction PAC Group was short listed as one of the possible candidates for supervising the construction.
20. Receive bids for construction Concordia received a number of bids from various construction companies in Shanghai.
21. Award construction contract The construction contract was awarded to PAC Group.
22. Obtain permits to begin construction Concordia International School obtained permits from the Shanghai Municipal body before beginning construction.
23. Advertise bids for school furniture Bids were sent out to furniture companies for the different kinds of furniture needed for the school.
24. Receive bids for furniture A number of bids were received from companies like Fomax, Playco and Matsu.
25. Construct the school Overseen by Perkins Eastman and the PAC Group, construction was begun and eventually completed in 18 months.
26. Monitor construction program The construction program was monitored by Perkins Eastman and the PAC Group.
27. Install school furniture The job of designing the interiors of the schools and installing the furniture was undertaken by Perkins Eastman.
28. Complete punch list A punch list was drawn up and completed by PAC Group.
Architecture 8
29. Accept the school Perkins Eastman verified that the construction was in step with the design and accepted it.
30. Orient school staff and community to building A walk-around was conducted by Perkins Eastman to orient the school staff and community to the new building.
31. Evaluate the school planning, design and construction Concordia International School evaluated and examined the construction and design of the school.
32. Complete warranty inspection A warranty inspection was completed by Concordia International School before the expiration of the warranty period provided by PAC Group and the various other companies hired for roofing, glazing etc.
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