Thomas Jefferson Elementary School Overcomes Earthquake Disaster

  • 07/29/14

Charlottesville, VA –A ribbon cutting ceremony marked the beginning of an era for the newly constructed Thomas Jefferson Elementary School in Louisa County on Monday. School Board officials, Louisa County School administrators, staff, and members of the community gathered to celebrate the completion of the elementary school, which was destroyed by a magnitude-5.8 earthquake in August 2011. The earthquake caused severe structural damage, making a new school the best option for moving forward.

Timmons Group, a leader in multi-discipline civil engineering and professional consulting services teamed with Rancorn Wildman Architects to deliver architecture and engineering service for the school design. Timmons Group provided civil engineering, surveying and landscape architecture services for the school, which was based on the design for Moss-Nuckols Elementary School. The school will include a separate entrance for community access to facilities like the gym, and a large courtyard in the middle for future science and garden activities.

“It’s been a true pleasure to work with Louisa County Public Schools during the design and construction of Thomas Jefferson Elementary School,” said Craig Kotarski, Project Manager for Timmons Group. “To see the community move forward and rebuild after the earthquake is commendable. This has truly been a unique project to work on.” Since the earthquake, elementary students were attending school in mobile units outside Trevilians Elementary. “I know they are excited to return this fall,” said Kotarski.

For more information, visit www.timmons.com.

Featured

  • Clemson to Launch North America’s Largest College Campus Smart Parking Program

    Clemson University in Clemson, S.C., recently announced a partnership with smart parking and curbside management solutions provider eleven-x to launch a smart parking initiative for its population of 29,000 students and faculty, according to a news release.

  • Illinois Elementary School Breaks Ground on Campus Expansion

    Heather Hill Elementary School, part of Flossmoor School District 161 in Palatine, Ill., recently broke ground on a new addition to the school focused on student support and security, according to a news release. The district partnered with Wold Architects & Engineers for the expansion as part of a longer-term facility planning and modernization initiative.

  • Abstract colorful arrows in front of a contemporary university building

    Spaces4Learning 2025 Trends in Higher Education

    With 2025 well underway, it’s time to take a look at some broader trends submitted by you, our Spaces4Learning readership. We asked for your thoughts on topics like classroom design, health & safety, materials & construction, and technology in both K–12 and higher-education environments. Below is a roundup of 2025 trends in higher education from the experts in the trenches.

  • East Carolina University Selects Architect for $60M Residence Hall Renovations

    East Carolina University in Greenville, N.C., recently announced that it has selected the KWK/Jenkins Peer Architects (JPA) team, collaborating with INTREPID Architecture, to design renovations for two of its residence halls, according to a news release.