On Tuesday, July 26, New Fairfield’s Permanent Building Committee (PBC) met for nearly three hours to discuss the new school buildings. The furniture selection process for the new high school was explained, which involved visiting trade shows with administrators, reviewing options, and testing equipment at the existing high school for comfort and durability over the last eight months. JCJ Architecture’s representatives walked through the selections for classrooms and common spaces, pointing out student- and teacher- specific pieces. In testing, faculty and students liked having a combination of seated and standing height equipment. The furniture will be far more suited to a modern classroom, with larger workstations that have charging areas built in, with wheelable lecture podiums for teachers, and moveable pieces to easily allow for groups.

Common area furniture was described for specific spaces, such as the Dining Hall and Media Center. There are a variety of more tech-focused pieces that will be available, such as collaborative tables—a TV can be raised out of the bottom portion, and everyone can login and share information. Many lounge areas were described, some with booths, others include bar height tables with more charging areas. The overall goal is to complete a final Furnishings, Fixtures, and Technology package by early September and, following approvals, the purchase orders will be in by Thanksgiving. This timing will get ahead of any issues there may be in the supply chain at that time.

After some discussion, the Committee agreed that it is logical to have Consolidated undergo PCB testing—if the testing comes back greater than 50 ppm, everything in that building will be assumed to include PCBs and will be removed as hazardous waste. When PBC members questioned why this was not the plan all along, it was noted that the original demolition scope and approach was never finalized because the design team was waiting to submit the plan to the state. The PBC agreed to fund the cost at a not-to-exceed $19K. The testers have asked for more time to sample if the testing returns negative.

In an update on the elementary campus construction, O&G’s Mr. Zach Rowley said they continue to work through their punch list. In addition, representatives from JCJ Architecture are drafting the final architectural punch list. PBC members noted that school representatives, both from administration and the buildings and grounds department, should also be involved in reviewing and contributing to this list. Rowley confirmed that the Makerspace is wrapping up and the storefront system and baffle ceilings are both installed. It was noted that the furniture would start arriving in the coming week and will continue through the second week of August. A representative from JCJ Architecture will be on site throughout the process to manage the installation, manage any issues that might arise, and monitor the punch list fixes.

At the new high school, walls are being painted and the ceiling grids are being installed in particular areas. When asked by a PBC member, O&G’s Mr. Joe Vetro confirmed that not all the pipes are labeled, but that they will be after firestopping is complete. He showed photos of the auditorium’s stage and explained that scaffolding is being erected to allow for contractors to work above the seating area on ductwork, lighting fixtures, the acoustical ceiling, and more.

There was a discussion about the lack of available masons and Vetro confirmed that the small crew who are working on the masonry will not derail the schedule in the future. “We’re running about twenty-four guys now. We can probably use double that with the size of this project,” Vetro said, going on to reassure the PBC that, not only are the current masons working on Saturdays, “it doesn’t really impact my schedule, only in that gym area.”

The architects are finalizing the designs for the Consolidated demolition. They are primarily focusing on the irrigation system and making sure that when the project is done that it functions as it does now.

The PBC approved a change request for additional cabling for the installation of Smart Boards at the elementary school, a project that it approved at a previous meeting, to allow teachers to connect devices such as iPads to the Boards via USB. The high cost for the work, over $5K, was questioned and it was explained that the cables need to be fished through—it is not a straight run up and down, but across and down the wall.

There was a lengthy discussion about a potential change order for curb insulation and flashing on the high school’s roof, though the issue was tabled until more information can be provided. The curb detail was designed to be a typical roof curb, but in this case, it was a specific acoustical roof tab curb that was specified by an acoustical manufacturer. It was noted that, in normal conditions, you would not have this.

The Committee discussed errors that JCJ Architecture made in two door specification requests at the elementary school. The two new doors and hardware will be installed at a cost of $12K.

The next Permanent Building Committee meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, August 9, 7:30 p.m.

By Sarah Opdahl