Bricks are for Kids

Growing Population in Thriving Fort Worth area Spawns New School with $6 Million Masonry Contract

By Lesley Hensell

Explosive residential growth in Fort Worth's northwest Tarrant County has led to a flurry of new school construction.

And one of the biggest projects currently under way has resulted in a masonry contract worth nearly $6 million for Wilks Masonry Corp. of Fort Worth.

Wilks is providing structural and veneer masonry for Saginaw High School, which is scheduled to open next year. Part of the Eagle Mountain-Saginaw Independent School

District, the new school initially will serve students in the ninth and 10th grades. Additional grades will gradually be added until the school's enrollment reaches about 2,500.

Hunt Construction of Dallas is the general contractor overseeing phase one of the $42.9 million project.

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When the first phase is completed for the 2005-2006 academic year, the high school will encompass 312,160 sq. ft. and hold 1,500 students. Included will be three gymnasiums, a theater and vocational areas.

A second phase, scheduled for completion in May 2008, will add more classrooms, said Ivan Kuncheff, project manager for Hunt.

The school district's second high school, Saginaw will provide plenty of room for the area's growing population. Currently, only 8,500 students are enrolled in the school district, which covers 73 sq. mi. in Saginaw, Blue Mound and Fort Worth. Enrollment is growing at a rate of about 8 percent each year.

"The building has some really neat architectural features," Kuncheff said. "Perhaps the most impressive part of the project is the sports facilities. We're working on a nice sports complex that includes football and baseball stadiums."

Ground broke on the project in February 2003. Wilks put workers on the site in September and expects to finish in August.

The masonry team has been substantial, with an average of about 40 masons, 70 mason-tenders and laborers and seven apprentices at work, said Kevin Reed, general superintendent and safety coordinator for Wilks.

Providing masonry for a project of this scope will require more than 1 million bricks, including more than 500,000 concrete-masonry units, said Todd Hunt, senior project manager for Wilks. Most structural masonry has been completed, and the remaining veneer work will be slightly easier, Hunt said.

Wilks is no stranger to large-scale school projects. One of the largest masonry contractors in the country, the firm already has completed work on dozens of schools around the state, ranging from new high school campuses to elementary school renovations and additions.

"With these large school projects, things have to be managed a little differently," Reed said. "If you look at it as one gigantic project, it's too daunting. Instead, I think of it as a small number of jobs put together to incorporate a larger project. We break it down into smaller work areas and go at it a piece at a time."

The building's architectural design, by VLK Architects of Arlington, includes a mix of classical and contemporary elements, Hunt said. To accomplish the desired decorative appearance, two colors of brick as well as Arriscraft Renaissance Masonry Units were incorporated into the design.

On the main building's exterior, lower areas are being veneered with red brick, while upper areas are covered in an off-white veneer, Reed said. Windowsills are made of cast stone.

"It's attractive," he added. "The look flows well with the lines of the building."

The project's athletic facilities include several outbuildings, including locker rooms, restrooms and concession areas, and most of them are being covered in split-face veneer of terra cotta brown and off-white.

"We are keeping with the overall color scheme of the project, but with different materials," Reed said.

Inside the auditorium, Arriscraft Renaissance Masonry Units, which are made to look like natural stone, line the room and mimic the look of native Texas limestone. Most of the stone will be buff-colored and smooth-faced, but bands of split, rough-faced stone will provide a contrast.

"They wanted to accent that area, and it will be beautiful when it's finished," Reed said. "It's really a high-end, no-holds-barred look."

"The acquisition of Athens is consistent with Hanson's strategy of pursuing bolt-on acquisitions where we can enhance existing strong positions in our core products and markets, said Richard Manning, president of Hanson Building Products North America. "Athens will strengthen our presence in the South Central region and is anticipated to be earnings enhancing from the outset."

Project Team:
Owner: Eagle Mountain-Saginaw Independent School District, Saginaw
General Contractor: VLK Architects Inc., Arlington
Structural Engineer: L.A. Fuess Partners Inc., Dallas.
Civil Engineer: Teague Nall Perkins Inc., Fort Worth
MEP Engineer: Reed, Wells, Benson and Co., Allen
Mechanical, Electrical & Plumbing Engineer: ACR Engineering Inc., Austin
General Contractor: Hunt Construction Group Inc., Fort Worth
Steel Contractor: Dallas Concrete Contractors Inc., Dallas
Masonry Contractor: Wilks Masonry Corp., Fort Worth
Concrete Contractor: Keystone Concrete, Houston
Electrical Contractor: JBI Electrical Systems, Inc., Fort Worth
Plumbing Contractor: SkiHi Enterprises Ltd., Fort Worth
HVAC Contractor: SkiHi Enterprises Ltd., Fort Worth

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