Demolition, Footings, Steel, and AC Work at BHS

In June 2014 work at Bartlesville High School continued to pave the way for expansions on both the north and southeast parts of the campus.

Ground Cleared/Footings Poured/Steel Shipment

Most of the connecting link and an existing stair at the north end of the Fine Arts Center corridor were demolished to make room for the large new cafeteria/commons on the ground floor and new classrooms for classes in grades 10-12 on the first floor.

The southeast addition will also have two stories of new classrooms in the Freshman Academy area south and east of the the cafeteria/commons, wrapping around the northeast corner of the Bruin Field House.

Foundation footings have been poured and steel beams have begun to arrive on site for these large projects.

Mascot Tree Relocated

On the north end, the ground has been cleared and the Mascot Tree relocated for construction of four new science labs for sophomores in an addition to the 2003 Science Wing. (The Freshman Academy will have its own separate set of four science labs.)

The Mascot Tree will likely be relocated to the area of the Alumni Arch on the west lawn of the campus, just west of where the Science Wing connects to the 1939 Main Building.

Air Conditioning Work Continues

In 1968 a ground-floor addition to the east side of the main building provided room for air conditioning, and a chiller was placed at the north end of Custer Stadium. That equipment was abandoned when the campus was drastically expanded in 2003 and beyond with the new Fine Arts Center and Bruin Field House, with a set of new chillers by the field house and air conditioning machinery located in a new mechanical room that was part of the new construction.

The large southeast addition to add grades 9 and 10 to the campus requires that those 2003-era chillers be relocated and that space be found for another chiller and additional indoor air conditioning equipment. To reduce costs, the old 1968 air conditioning space has been repurposed for new indoor equipment and an additional chiller placed nearby on the concrete pad where an old metal building was located from 1963 until 2012; that building was originally an auxiliary cafeteria and used for many other functions in later years until it became decrepit and was demolished.

Good Planning Over a Decade Ago Pays Off

This re-use of the old air conditioning space was made possible by good planning in the 2003 additions. Before the old skybridge between the annex and stadium was replaced by a two-story corridor/stairway/elevator link (which remains in use), several extra large pipes were run from the main building's mechanical room south to the Fine Arts Center. Thinking ahead in case the campus needed to grow more in the future, these unused pipes were mapped so that they could service any later additions to the southeast part of the campus. They make it possible to locate the air conditioning equipment for the southeast addition in the 1968 space, reducing construction costs.

Click images to enlarge them

Cafeteria/Commons area

Some Steel Arrives

Steel Lay-Down

Fill and trench in Freshman Academy area

Mascot Tree before its relocation

New chiller east of main building

New equipment in the 1968 air conditioning room