Facts about the 3D model and the real one.

3D Model Facts:

Modeling start time: First week in September, 2007.

Modeling end time: April 13, 2009

Number of faces: 50,565

Number of edges: 146,502

Number of textures: 44

Hours worked on: I don't want to think about it.

Real Building Facts:

Land Prep Start Time: Summer of 1998

Construction Start Time: Winter of 1999

Construction End Time: August, 2000

Building Cost: $26 Million

Total Project Cost (Including Mile Lane Fields): $32 million

Square Footage: 205,000

Number of Windows: Around 293 (inlcuding windows in doors)

Highest Part of Building: Library Skylight - 152' 10" (Feet above sea level)

Lowest Point of Building: Basement - 84' (Feet above sea level)

Companies & People Involved

Contractor: Westcott

Landscape Surveyors: Welch Associates

Civil Engineers: Judith Nitsch Engineering, Inc

Landscape Architects: Geller Associates, Inc

Furniture & Equipment Consultants: Tavares Design Associates

Kitchen Consultants: Tavares Design Associates

Structural Engineers: Simpson Gumpertz & Heger, Inc

Mechanical/Electrical/Plumbing/Fire Protection Engineers: Shooshanian Engineering Associates

Technology Consultant: Edvance Tech Design

Acoustic Consultant: Cambridge Acoustical Associates, Inc

Geotechnical Consultant: GSI

Specifications: Walter Rosenfeld

Cost Estimators: CostPro

Brief History of the Ipswich Middle-High School

      From 1995 to 1998, the Town and School Board were in the process of agreeing on a design for a new school as the current one was getting old. They visited other schools to look at different designs they might want to incorporate. Another decision was whether the middle and high school should be separate buildings, or combined into one. Finally they agreed on a one building, house and barn style design. (All the classrooms would be together in one end of the building, resembling a house, and the gyms, performing arts center, cafeteria, visual arts, etc, would be together in another part, resembling the barn. Then they would be connected by a breezeway in the middle.) The classroom section would have a courtyard in the middle, allowing all the rooms to have sunlight and a natural breeze.

      During the summer of 1998, the site was starting to be prepared for construction. The soil underneath was very wet clay, unstable for putting a building on top. To fix that problem, wicks were put into the ground, and lots of soil was piled on top, forcing the water to the surface. What was left was a dry, solid clay base that was suitable for building. The various processes for getting the site ready for construction took about 6 months.

      Construction started on the classroom side and finished at the cafeteria. During the construction of the new school, it had to be built right next to the current one without disturbing it. The whole building was originally designed for air conditioning but due to money issues, it was only installed in c wing, performing arts center, and administrative offices. During April of 2000, a few months before the building was finished, the Principal had a faculty meeting to show the teachers inside the almost completed building. In general, they liked what they saw and were impressed when they moved in during the fall. The building was finally finished during early August of 2000 and opened for school in September. Since it opened, there haven’t been any major problems aside from minor flooding and typical issues of the aging building.