PRELIMINARY PLANS PRESENTATION
Northwest High School
Addition
MONTGOMERY COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS
OCTOBER 1999
SAMAHA ASSOCIATES, P.C.
PRELIMINARY PLANS PRESENTATION
Northwest High School Addition
13501 Richter Farm Road
Gaithersburg, Maryland 20876
Montgomery County Board of Education
Mr. Reginald M. Felton
Mrs. Patricia O’Neill
Mr. Steve Abrams
Mr. Kermit V. Burnett
Mrs. Beatrice B. Gordon
Mrs. Nancy J. King
Ms. Mona M. Signer
Ms. Laura Sampedro
President
Vice President
Member
Member
Member
Member
Member
Student Member
Montgomery County Schools Administration
Dr. Jerry D. Weast
Mr. Richard G. Hawes
Mr. Mitchell M. Brown
Mr. Michael P. Shpur
Mr. James Song
Ms. Robin Adler
Superintendent of Schools
Director, Department of Facilities Management
Assistant Director, Division of Construction
Architect, Division of Construction
Project Manager, Division of Construction
Facility Analyst, Department of Planning and Capital Programming
FACILITIES ADVISORY COMMITTEE
Facilities Advisory Committee Involvement
The preliminary plans for the Northwest High School addition were developed based on the educational specifications
prepared by Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) staff and Parent Teacher Student Association members.
Through a series of conferences with the Facilities Advisory Committee, several design alternatives were developed and
evaluated. The proposed plans were reviewed and subsequently modified in accordance with recommendations and
suggestions from the committee which unanimously approved the proposed plans presented herein.
Facilities Advisory Committee
Dr. Edward Shirley
Ms. Robin Adler
Ms. Joni Aloi
Mr. Mitchell Brown
Ms. Bonnie Johnson
Ms. Adrienne Karamihas
Mr. Michael Shpur
Mr. John Simpson
Mr. James Song
Mr. William Thomas
Principal, Northwest High School
Planner, Department of Planning and Capital Programming, MCPS
Business Manager, Northwest High School
Assistant Director, Division of Construction, MCPS
PTSA, Northwest High School
Planner, Department of Planning and Capital Programming, MCPS
Architect, Division of Construction, MCPS
PTSA, Northwest High School
Project Manager, Division of Construction, MCPS
Architect, Maryland State Department of Education
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PROJECT INFORMATION
Background and History
Northwest High School is located at 13501 Richter Farm Road, Gaithersburg, Maryland. The school was originally
constructed in 1998. The current building capacity is 1,228 with a core of 2,000. The current student enrollment is 1,230
in grades 9 -12 with a projected enrollment of 1,525 students for school year 2001-02. The existing structure contains
approximately 247,000 gross square feet on 3 floor levels. This addition project was master-planned in the original
building design.
Educational Program Objectives
This project is to provide classroom space for the projected increase in enrollment into the next century, meeting the
educational standards for a program for grades 9-12. The current master-plan includes funding for a 10-classroom
addition that will increase the capacity of the facility to 1,424 students for the 2001-02 school year. An additional 8
classrooms will be designed as an add-alternate that will increase the capacity of the facility to approximately 1,604
students. Additional 18 classrooms will be master-planned to increase the ultimate capacity to 2,000 students. A new
ADA-compliant elevator will be located within the new addition to provide additional handicap access to the auditorium.
The high school philosophy of adaptable classrooms with the flexibility for accommodating various size groups and
presentation formats, and maximum connectivity to outside resources have been incorporated in the design. Each
instructional area will have adequate learning space, teacher work areas, and storage facilities. The following are the key
elements of this addition project:

Provide 10-classroom addition at northeast corner of the existing building.

Provide an additional 8 classrooms, in two parts, at northeast and southeast corners of existing building as an addalternate.

Master-plan additional 18-classroom addition along the building’s south side for future expansion.

Provide additional driveway exit at the student parking area.

Provide sidewalk connection from school to Great Seneca Highway.
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PROJECT INFORMATION (continued)
Teaching Stations
The following teaching stations will be provided:
Standard Classroom
Science Laboratories
Total Teaching Stations Added
7 classrooms
3 laboratories
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As an add-alternate, the following teaching stations will be provided:
Standard Classroom
5 classrooms
Art Classroom
1 classroom
Communication Center
1
Auxiliary Gymnasium
1
Total Teaching Stations Added
8
Core Facilities And Support Spaces
The following core and support spaces will be provided:
Math/Science/Technology Seminar Room
Textbook Storage
Science Preparation Room
Storage Rooms
Staff Toilets
Student Toilets
Building Service Closets
Recycling Room
Loading/Receiving Room
Elevator
The 10-classroom addition will be approximately 25,500 square feet. The additional 8-classroom addition as an addalternate will be approximately 20,900 square feet.
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PROJECT INFORMATION (continued)
Existing Site Information
Size of Site:
34.5 Acres.
Site Features:
Northwest High School is located on a 34.5 acre site on Richter Farm Road in
Gaithersburg, Maryland. The site is bordered by single family residential properties on
the north side, by Richter Farm Road on the west and south, and Seneca Highway to
the east. Current site amenities consist of a faculty parking lot to the west, student
drop-off lane with student parking to the south, bus loading at the northwest main
entrance, a stadium and baseball field to the south, and practice and softball field are
located to the north. The site falls 90 feet from the upper northern play area at the
highest elevation to the southern baseball field at the lowest elevation.
Storm Water Management:
Both quantity and quality for storm water management have been addressed in the
original building construction.
Utilities:
The existing building is served by an 8-inch domestic water line, 8-inch sewer line, and
a 4-inch high pressure gas main with pressure regulators. The primary electric service
is provided underground to a pad-mounted transformer. The service terminates in a
3000-amp, 480/277 volt, 3-phase, 4-wire switchboard. The existing electric service is
adequate to accommodate the new addition. The capacity of the domestic hot and cold
water system and hot water heating boiler and chiller systems are adequate to support
the new addition project.
Number of Parking Spaces:
The existing school has a total of 515 car parking spaces and a staging area for 30 buses.
Existing Building Information
Location:
13501 Richter Farm Road, Gaithersburg, Maryland 20876
Number of Levels:
Three
History and Square Footage of Existing Building:
1998 – The original building, located front center of the property, contained
approximately 247,000 square feet
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PROJECT DESIGN
Site:
The proposed site plan makes optimum use of the limited area behind the existing facility. The 10classroom addition will be a three-story building adjacent to the existing auditorium as masterplanned in 1998. The 8 additional classrooms will be built in two areas. Five standard classrooms
will be constructed adjacent to the existing auditorium along with the 10-classroom addition. The
auxiliary gymnasium, a model office, and storage will be added adjacent to the existing second
gymnasium. In order to accommodate the 8 additional classroom addition, the existing service
driveway will be modified. The future 18-classroom is to be located adjacent to the gymnasium,
which will require minor modification to the existing parent drop off loop and the student parking lot.
As a part of the addition project, an additional access from the student parking lot will be provided to
alleviate the traffic congestion at the main entrance to the school site. A sidewalk, linking the rear of
the school to Great Seneca Highway from Clopper Road, will be built to improve access for
pedestrians.
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PROJECT DESIGN (continued)
Building:
The new classroom addition will wrap around the existing auditorium. The building addition will be
three stories high, aesthetically matching the existing facility. The classroom wing will have a
staircase at the end to provide vertical circulation. In addition, an elevator will be added to provide
accessibility to all three stories and the auditorium. The additional teaching stations are designed to
be located on the same level as their departments.
The lower level will have storage and a corridor to maintain egress for the existing auditorium. The
model office space is relocated to the proposed addition adjacent to the existing second
gymnasium. A proposed auxiliary gymnasium is also located adjacent to the existing second
gymnasium and is linked to the physical education department by a new corridor. The existing
model office will be remodeled to an art classroom, adjacent to the art department.
The main level will contain most of the standard classrooms. The upper level will have science
laboratories, preparation rooms, seminar room, and a communication center. A set of student and
staff toilets will be provided on the main and upper levels. In addition, approximately 250 lockers
will be added in the addition on the main and upper level.
Code Compliance:
All areas affected by this addition/renovation project will be designed to meet handicapped
accessibility requirements as well as national and local building codes including fire, life safety, and
health codes. The addition and renovated areas will accommodate the extension of all the current
state-of-art data, telecommunications, and audio-visual systems.
Mechanical and Electrical Systems:
New mechanical and electrical systems will be provided to all new or renovated spaces in
conformance with MCPS standards. The classrooms will be air conditioned and heated by four-pipe
floor mounted unit ventilators. The outside ventilation air will be provided by a new roof mounted
make-up air energy recovery unit. The unit will be furnished with a hot water heating coil and an aircooled direct expansion refrigeration system. The two new toilet rooms and building service closets
will be supplied from the existing domestic water system. A new gravity flow sanitary sewer pipe will
run from the addition to an existing sanitary sewer manhole.
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PROJECT DESIGN (continued)
Energy Management Statement:
A primary design factor for Northwest High School is conservation of energy. The importance and
consideration placed on energy conservation is reflected in the configuration and orientation of the
building and its additions, the selection of materials, and the mechanical/electrical systems utilized.
The facility will be designed to exceed ASHRAE 90.1-89 energy requirements and BOCA Basic
Energy Conservation codes as well as Montgomery County energy conservation codes. In addition,
the design will incorporate the ANSI/ASHRAE/IES Energy Efficient Design for New Buildings.
Energy design features that will be incorporated into the facility are as follows:








Horizontal window blinds to control solar heating loads.
Thermal break windows that will be double-glazed.
Operable windows for ventilation.
An efficient relationship of fenestration and building materials to produce an efficient building
envelope.
HVAC system controlled by the MCPS Energy Management System.
Separate domestic hot water heaters controlled by the MCPS Energy Management System.
Electrical systems of lighting and power utilizing techniques of energy conservation.
Plumbing systems that minimize the use of water, including domestic hot water requirements.
Building Security:
The building will have a motion sensor alarm system monitored by the MCPS security office. Higher
risk areas, including the communication center, will have stand-alone security systems.
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PROJECT DESIGN (continued)
Technology Infrastructure:
Classrooms will have computer outlets on the walls that allow multiple group teaching areas within a
classroom. Individual classrooms are designed to provide flexible teaching spaces; i.e., small group
sessions or lecture sessions. Students can be organized into small groups for project-oriented
teaching, or in a traditional teacher-centered lecture format.
The building-wide data network infrastructure includes category 5 cable that is capable of supporting
switched Ethernet (10 Mbps dedicated), fast Ethernet (20-100 Mbps) and FDDI (100 Mbps)
configurations. These bandwidths will likely meet normal requirements for the next 4 to 8 years. The
design also includes a dark fiber optic cable to every classroom and office for future use. Installation
provisions will be compatible with systems that may be developed in the near future.
In the future, video may be fully digitized. When that occurs, the digital signal can be transmitted via
the category 5 network and/or fiber optic cables which are part of the network. This design will include
a 1000 MHz broadband distribution system that concentrates all equipment at the head end with only
cabling, taps and outlets within the addition, simplifying maintenance. This system offers full cable
spectrum to every building outlet in the addition, provides 3 dedicated channels for in-school
broadcasts, and gives every outlet television origination capability.
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Design Team Members
Architect
Civil Engineer
Structural Engineer
Mechanical, Electrical, Plumbing Engineers
Samaha Associates, P.C.
Gordon Berlinsky, P.E.
Structron Engineering, Inc.
Johnson Engineering, Inc.
Project Schedule
Preliminary Plans Presentation
Construction Documents Completed
Award Construction Contract
Project Completed
October 1999
March 2000
April 2000
September 2001
Estimated Construction Cost
10-Classroom Addition
Existing
New
Renovated
247,000 SF
25,500 SF
3,000 SF
8-Classroom Add-Alternate
20,900 SF
3,500 SF
Total Gross SF
272,500 SF
293,400 SF (WITH THE BASE BID
10-CLASSROOM ADDITION)
Total Costs
$ 3,200,000
$ 2,500,000 (8-CLASSROOM
ADD-ALTERNATE COST ONLY)
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