Lincoln Elementary School Renovation and Addition

Iowa City, Iowa

Firm

Farnsworth Group, Inc.

Client

Iowa City Community School District

Area

43,910 sq.ft.

Total Cost

$8,700,000

Completion Date

08/2019

Kenneth D. Smith Design Photography Inc.

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Design Team
Farnsworth Group: Sarah Huston (Project Architect), Bob Ridgway (Project Designer); KCL Engineering (MEP); KPFF (Structural); MMS Consultants (Civil)

Lincoln Elementary is a neighborhood school that was built in 1926, and had additions in 1949, 1954, 1973, 1974, and 1988. Farnsworth Group was hired to add a gymnasium, playground entrance, and music room. The existing building sits at the upper level of a steeply sloping 3.5-acre site. After considering several “routine” options, administrators decided to construct a 16,000-square-foot, two-story addition in the ravine behind the original building—recapturing previously unused areas of the site for bus drop-off, parking, and a playground.

The project remodeled and updated all the classrooms and other spaces in the school and provided a new VRF HVAC system and fire protection system. Many existing small restrooms were removed, and a large central restroom was built.

The project involved several unique construction techniques, including using geofoam to infill the existing gymnasium to provide accessibility, and the use of a soil nail wall to accomplish the grade change when putting the gymnasium at the lower level behind the existing school.