KIPP DC
New School Program Management
In May 2006, Brailsford & Dunlavey was selected by Building Hope: A Charter School Facilities Fund to complete a preliminary test fit analysis of a property at 4801 Benning Road, SE in Washington, DC. The purpose of this test fit was to assess the ability of the property to accommodate an elementary, middle, and high school project. B&D analyzed the land use guidelines of the property as well as the space needs developed by the District of Columbia branch of the Knowledge Is Power Program (KIPP DC). A preliminary site plan was developed, and a report assessing the ability of the proposed site to host the KIPP DC project was completed. Based on B&D's findings, Building Hope entered an agreement with KIPP DC, and the proposed site was purchased for the project.
In early 2007, B&D was selected by KIPP DC to provide program management services for the new school, which included developing and maintaining a comprehensive project milestone schedule, developing and maintaining a project budget, and keeping the school regularly informed of the project's status. As coordinator of the project implementation process, B&D reviewed the initial documentation prepared by the design team and made recommendations regarding the project's phasing and constructability.
In order to provide the anticipated construction costs with the level of specificity required by KIPP DC, B&D recommended adding a contractor to the project design team. B&D conducted a competitive selection process based on the school's needs for a contractor possessing detailed knowledge of the local construction market and an ability to provide cost estimating services based on early design documentation. A contractor was selected, and the information provided was successfully incorporated into the design process.
B&D managed the completion of the project design process and worked with a permit facilitator to submit the construction documents to necessary regulatory bodies. As is a possibility on every construction project, the risk associated with addressing unforeseen condition presented KIPP DC with myriad decisions impacting the project's schedule and budget. Based on the recommendations and guidance provided by B&D, by the fall of 2007 all demolition, abatement, and site preparation tasks were completed, and steel erection activities were underway.
The new $19 million school building at 4801 Benning Road opened in 2008.
