Los Angeles Unified School District

IMEG provided structural engineering and design services for the Olive Vista Middle School project located in Sylmar, CA. This $22 million project consists of replacement buildings, a 22,361-sf new gymnasium facility and a 26,901-sf new multi-purpose building with a lunch pavilion. The new buildings consists of metal deck over steel framed roof and concrete masonry unit (CMU) walls for both gravity support and lateral resistance. Each building is creatively designed and accented with up to 70-ft long-span and pitched roofs. In addition, built-up pitched steel trusses and bent wide-flange beams were utilized to accommodate the column-free open space, as well as intended roof slopes. Additional design challenges requiring creative engineering solutions include: various roof heights and parapets, as well as clerestory windows for the gymnasium and auditorium rooms. Significant collaboration with the architectural design team was essential to successfully provide structural design solutions to accommodate the various design constraints without sacrificing the structural integrity of the design. Construction was phased to allow continued use of the existing physical education building during construction. A prominent set of terraced and landscaped steps were constructed to tie the new physical education building into the existing campus and serve as an outdoor learning space for gatherings and extracurricular activities. There is also an infrastructure for photovoltaic systems on both building roofs, as well as shade structures for the new adjacent parking areas. The new buildings have successfully addressed and mitigated accessibility issues throughout the campus. The project is anticipated to be a CHPS (Collaborative for High Performance Schools) registered and certified school building facility.