KENNER DISCOVERY HEALTH SCIENCES ACADEMY

Albright Management Strategies, LLC is serving as the Owner’s Representative for the new 125,000-sf high school facility at Loyola Avenue and Vintage Drive in Kenner. The project was designed by Sizeler Thompson Brown Architects.

The school’s 9th-12th grade classrooms are located on the second and third floors along with nine science and engineering labs. Elective classrooms include art, music, theater/speech, foreign language and digital/business media centers. Additional features are a 7,700-sf cafeteria, a 5,200-sf library and a Teaching Kitchen. The building envelope consists of precast concrete panels and structural steel construction, metal wall panels, glass curtainwall system and a modified bitumen roof. The cafeteria and library will have spectacular views of the fully landscaped, outdoor scored concrete plaza. A covered walkway will connect the high school to the existing modular campus. The design also includes a new soccer field area.

AMSLLC began its partnership with Kenner Discovery Health Sciences Academy in March 2018 during the project’s schematic design phase. During the design development phase, it was determined that the project’s estimated construction cost would exceed the original budget. The project team diligently collaborated on value-engineering ideas and concepts to reduce project costs. Through recommendations by AMSLLC, the Owner opted to directly contract with several vendors which included scopes of work pertaining to food service equipment, signage and window treatments. The original total cost of these specific scopes of work was approximately $1,000,000. AMSLLC coordinated and evaluated proposals from numerous vendors, ultimately reducing the total cost of these scopes of work by $250,000. A critical aspect of the school’s operations pertains to the design of special systems such as intrusion detection, CCTV system, telecommunications and paging and intercom. AMSLLC effectively managed the coordination between the Architect and the Owner’s leadership team to ensure the needs of the school were properly included in the design documents.

During the construction phase of the project, the daily communication and correspondence with the project team members on behalf of the Owner is handled by AMSLLC. Monitoring the project schedule, review of change order proposals and managing project issues are some primary aspects of AMSLLC’s services. AMSLLC is also managing the Owner’s FF&E needs which consist of all furniture for the 125,000-sf facility and technology equipment.

ACADEMY OF THE SACRED HEART - MATER CAMPUS RENOVATIONS

Albright Management Strategies, LLC (AMSLLC) is serving as the Owner’s Representative for the Academy of the Sacred Heart (ASH) on the first major project at the Mater Campus since its original renovation in 2004-2005 after the purchase of the property. The Mater Campus is home to the Little Hearts, Pre-K/K and 1st-4th grade students. The project was designed by Gould Evans.

AMSLLC’s partnership with the Academy of the Sacred Heart began in 2017 with the Program Planning Phase for future projects at the Mater and Rosary Campuses. During a three-month period, AMSLLC conducted design charrettes with the various contingency groups - faculty/administration, parents and students. This process was utilized to obtain the insight and feedback from the groups on their hopes, interests and concerns related to future potential school projects.

In October 2018, AMSLLC was engaged as the Owner’s Representative during the design phase of the Mater Campus Renovation of the Nims Fine Arts Center and Main Entrance to the Mater Campus. AMSLLC worked alongside the Architect and General Contractor reviewing the design development documents and corresponding budget estimates. A key goal for AMSLLC was to maintain ASH’s original budget established for the project. This required keen attention to the plans and specifications and the correlating construction costs. AMSLLC provided recommendations for alternate cost-saving ideas and created itemized budget goals for all scopes of work. In each of the three budget exercises, the estimated construction costs decreased as a result of these efforts.

During the construction phase, AMSLLC communicates and corresponds with the project team on a daily basis. Tracking project issues and progressing towards solutions are vital aspects of AMSLLC’s management services. Monitoring the construction schedule, review of change proposals and tracking project costs are also key facets to serving as the Owner’s Representative. AMSLLC is honored to be a part of this exciting endeavor and partnership with the Academy of the Sacred Heart.

DR. JOHN OCHSNER DISCOVERY HEALTH SCIENCES ACADEMY

Albright Management Strategies, LLC is serving as the Representative for Discovery Health Science Academy on the new 87,000-sf Pre-K through 8th grade facility in Jefferson, Louisiana. The project is designed by Grace Hebert Curtis Architects. This is AMSLLC's second project with Discovery Health Sciences Academy.

The partnership between Ochsner Health Systems and Discovery Health Sciences Academy will afford the surrounding Jefferson area with a new stateof-the-art facility serving the children of the neighboring community as well as Ochsner employee children. The project includes a number of unique design features which incorporate modern learning communities within the facility; yet the use of exterior materials complements the character of the residential neighborhood. The main school building is a 2-story facility serving Pre-K through 4th grade on the first floor and 5th through 8th grade on the second floor. The design strategically engages the various age groups of the students and inimitably supports each different learning environment. Other features of the main school building are a Maker Space, Media Center, Computer Lab and Science Labs. The West side of the campus will consist of the Gymnasium, Student Dining and a Teaching Kitchen complimented with an adjacent outdoor, covered area supporting the culinary curriculum. The building area surrounds an exquisite courtyard and playground with multiple attractions for continued learning while outside the physical walls of the school.

The project's overall design utilizes various sustainable materials, unique configurations and sophisticated architecture to provide not only distinct character for this new school facility; but also an atmosphere which joins the missions of both Ochsner Health Systems and Discovery Health Sciences Academy for community building and innovation. Construction commenced in early March 2020 and the projected completion date is May 2021

ACADEMY OF THE SACRED HEART - ROSARY CAMPUS RENOVATIONS

Albright Management Strategies, LLC (AMSLLC) is engaged on a second project for the Academy of the Sacred Heart (ASH) for the renovation of school's main campus facility, The Rosary. The project is being designed by Blitch Knevel Architects. The project consists of a renovation to the 2nd and 3rd floors which serve the Middle and Upper School students. The 2nd floor is approximately 20,000 sf and the 3rd floor is 14,000 sf. The last major project at The Rosary Campus was the Science Wing Addition which was completed in 1997.

While the project is currently nearing the completion of the Schematic Design phase, AMSLLC's role as a construction consultant began in the summer of 2018. ASH's 5-year strategic plan includes a primary goal of "Enhancing Academic Rigor and Innovation" with a key initiative of "Transformation of Learning Spaces". In preparation for the future renovation to The Rosary Campus, AMSLLC conducted a series of Program Planning sessions with ASH's leadership team in 2018. The results generated an understanding of potential new floor plan layouts, a preliminary phasing plan and schedule durations for the project. Mr. Ron Blitch of Blitch Knevel Architects complimented AMSLLC and ASH for their efforts and their work product as it significantly aided and expedited the Conceptual Design phase.

The Rosary Campus renovation project goals and objectives are to enhance the architectural features while maintaining the traditional character of The Rosary, incorporate technology and innovation, develop an energy-conservation design which provides sustainability and creation of collaborative learning environments beyond the classroom.