The new Lake Belton High School is a 385,000 square-foot campus located in Temple, Texas including various community, teaching and athletic spaces.
This project required close coordination with the architect, O’Connell Robertson, and constant input from the contractor, Bartlett Cocke, during the design phase to achieve the client’s goals and stay within budget.
We designed concrete tilt walls for the gym, and recessed orchestra pits and multiple steel framing levels in the auditorium. In addition, we used long-span decks and girders over the gymnasiums, as well as several retaining walls and steps on the outside of the building. This reinforcement mitigated the slope of the grounds. The challenge of integrating these techniques to achieve the architect’s dreams stretched our design capabilities and made the project enjoyable.
The auditorium is the standout feature, and was unique due to the structural challenges and close coordination required by the team in design. The multi-purpose auditorium includes a recessed orchestra pit, tiered seating, overhead catwalks, locking and loading galleries, control booths, a mezzanine section and a gridiron platform over the stage to hang sets and lights.
The theater required several design calls with the architect and theater consultant to provide a state-of-the-art arena with acoustics, function and aesthetics. All were considered high priorities.
Another specific challenge of this project was the lateral system of the auditorium. We strategically incorporated non-load bearing concrete masonry unit (CMU) walls with vertical slip connections as a vital part of the lateral system. The result reduced the number of steel braces while utilizing the walls required by the architect for acoustics and durability. This process created an open floor plan, reduced wall thicknesses and gained square footage. Ultimately, this design saved the project a significant amount of money.
Overall, the detailed collaborative effort allowed the design and construction teams to provide an excellent high school for Belton ISD within the budget. The team of quality architects, engineers and contractors came together through shared ambition and principles to make the project a success.
Location: Temple, Texas
Size: 385,000 sf
Client: Belton ISD
Architect: O’Connell Robertson
Contractor: Bartlett Cocke
