LAUSD Project Delivered Ahead of Schedule

McCarthy and Xcel Mechanical Systems recently completed construction of LAUSD’s new $96.7 million South Region High School No. 2, located at 6100 South Central Avenue in Los Angeles.

The school was designed by Leo A Daly of Los Angeles. McCarthy served as general contractor for the project. Xcel Mechanical Systems was hired as the project’s mechanical contractor. The project entailed construction of a 220,000-square-foot high school on a 16.1 acre site with capacity for up to 2,000 students. The new school consists of eight two-and three-level buildings with 75 classrooms, an administrative office, performing arts/multi-purpose/practice gym, cafeteria and food services area, media center/library, a gym and locker rooms. The school also features an outdoor lunch shelter and athletic facilities including football and softball fields and a track and field venue with a new rubberized synthetic track surface.

The nine buildings are strategically positioned to provide a rectangular perimeter barrier around a centrally located courtyard/student gathering area. The high school is sectioned into four small learning communities, each self-contained with classrooms and laboratory facilities in each building. The athletic, library and performing arts facilities are shared among the four communities. Each classroom has state-of-the-art A/V equipment and the ADA-compliant science labs feature built-in casework, fume hoods, chemical resistant countertops, sinks, gas, power and high speed data connections. All buildings are type II steel construction with the exterior skin comprised of plaster, CMU veneer and metal panels.

Xcel Mechanical used BIM (Building Information Modeling) technology to assist in the building process for the new high school. Xcel teams used AutoDesk NavisWorks project review software to create 3D models of the high school’s mechanical systems before construction began. The use of 3D modeling proved highly successful in helping visualize and resolve systems clashes in the areas that required extensive detailing such as the central plant, the underground utilities, small mechanical closets and restrooms.

“This close team collaboration allowed the project to stay ahead of schedule and complete nearly two months early,” said Senior Project Manager Andrew Raufi.

Certified by the Collaborative for High Performing Schools (CHPS), the new South Regional High School boasts numerous environmentally friendly elements. Some of the project’s sustainable features include: energy efficient direct/indirect lighting with automatic lighting controls; low flow lavatories; low VOC paint; high energy efficient air conditioning; operable windows; a white roof to reflect unwanted energy and reduce the amount of energy consumed and drought tolerant landscaping. Construction waste was also recycled.