Valley Park Elementary Schools Accessibility Design

The Ketchikan Gateway Borough is seeking a qualified architectural design team to evaluate accessibility for the 40,500-s.f., Valley Park Elementary Schools building at Schoenbar Road in Ketchikan, Alaska. The work will examine the overall egress, for accessibility and function within both Ketchikan Charter School, and Tongass Arts and Science. The work includes recommendations to modify inaccessible spaces to accommodate the programmatic needs; examination of egress components for code compliance and for structural conditions; building system suitability, and opportunities to eliminate redundant or superfluous mechanical system components taken offline during prior building renovations. Work will also examine the exterior exit components to determine suitability for continued reuse, and recommend repairs or replacement, along with all design resulting thereto. The Ketchikan Gateway Borough desires to bid construction over one or several projects as determined by the design scope.

Valley Park Elementary Schools is a 40,500-square foot school of heavy timber construction with sprinklers constructed in 1971. Subsequent renovations include asbestos abatement, electrical, mechanical and fire alarm upgrades, siding replacement, and pool elimination from 1999-2003; roof repairs in 1999 and, ultimately, replacement in 2013; and the bifurcation of the school into its present configuration with the Ketchikan Charter School (KCS) and Tongass School of Arts and Sciences (TSAS) cohabiting the facility.

Accessibility:

As the building predates the passage of the 1990 American with Disabilities Act, accessibility issues are present throughout the structure, exacerbated by the bifurcated school arrangement.

• Elevator as an Egress Component : The understory playground has no accessible pedestrian route from either school. Save for vehicular conveyance from TSAS, egress is possible only through a service elevator. This elevator discharges to playground level to a service corridor containing janitorial supplies. In addition to the inappropriate nature of students utilizing a janitorial supply area for any purpose, the space provides inadequate exterior access as it is continuously locked, and, for egress purposes, does not contain panic hardware. The service elevator is also likely insufficiently sized to meet ADA. Last, the elevator stops in a staff room at the sublevel of KCS and in a corridor at TSAS: access to KCS's main education space requires traversing TSAS's education space.
• Tongass School of Arts and Sciences: TSAS is a favorable position relative to accessibility due to its on-grade access to adjoining parking shared with the Gateway Recreation and Aquatic Center. However, there is no accessible route that connects TSAS to the gymnasium located at the southeasterly corner of the building short of utilizing the service elevator and traversing KCS education spaces.
• Ketchikan Charter School: KCS is effectively inaccessible: entry is via a staircase along the easterly elevation providing access to a sublevel containing the gymnasium and staff and educational spaces. KCS receives elevator access at this level. A level below that containing the KCS music room is accessed through the gymnasium and contains an exterior exit to the entry stair. The main educational level, containing restrooms, office, library, and classrooms is solely stair accessible, though a doorway provides both on-grade access and at-grade elevator access from TSAS.

Programmatic Use:

Spatial distribution within the school appears to be insufficient to house the entirety of KCS and TSAS. At present, KCS leases off-site school facilities to support its seventh and eighth grade programs. TSAS, meanwhile, has noted an insufficiency of space in its administration office.

Superfluous Components:

Building modifications - primarily stemming from the elimination of the swimming pool, including elimination of supporting locker and shower rooms - have resulted in mechanical components that no longer serve a purpose, potentially inhibiting space renovation.

Egress Sufficiency:

Exterior heavy timber staircases and the TSAS bridge are exhibiting widespread rot, necessitating their programmed replacement.