The Newtown Youth Academy, a non-profit sports facility, features a soccer field, basketball courts, fitness center, running track, and office space. This organization not only promotes health and well-being for its members, but focuses on the well being of the environment as well.
The first in the community with a LEED Silver certification from the U.S. Green Building Council, the project depicts an innovative example of sustainability in the community and in the Tilt-Up industry.
Located on a vacated mental health institution campus, the surrounding buildings consist of brick and classical architecture. To remain consistent with the surroundings, Newtown Youth Academy was designed with Colonial-style architecture using thin-brick façade cast into the Tilt-Up panels, post-applied architectural accents, classical columns for the entryway and additions, and classic accents such as dated benches, street lamps and paint colors to blend with the existing 1930s’ architecture. Despite problematic site-soil conditions causing numerous springs and flooding, this $7.2 million facility was completed in only eight months — three months earlier than with traditional methods. Using Tilt-Up construction also saved the owner $600,000 in construction costs.
All materials and operating systems for the project were objectively evaluated to lessen environmental impact and for cost-effectiveness. The building’s structural materials incorporate a significant amount of recycled content and 84 percent of the construction waste was sorted for recycling. The original old brick and block building was torn down, the rubble crushed on-site, and then used as fill for the new building and road bedding. The facility features a solar electric system that will generate a third of the its annual energy use. The heavily-insulated roof and walls will enhance the efficiency of the heating and cooling systems.
The plumbing is yet another standout feature, using only half of the customary water for a building of this size and end use.
Photos
Project Specifics
- Project Floor Area
- 86,000 sq ft
- (7,989 sq m)
Participating TCA Members
- Ace/Avant Concrete Construction Company Inc
- Tilt-Up contractor
Meadow Burke- Lifting hardware
- Nox-Crete Products Group
- Bond breaker, Form release agent
- A.H. Harris & Sons, Inc.
- Tilt-Up materials
- Tincher's Welding LLC
- Structural steel fabricator