Byline: Valerie Huntley, Market Research/Reporter

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Project description: Renovation and restoration of Chalmette High School Address: 1100 E. Judge Perez Dr. Architect: Lachin Oubre' & Associates Contractor: Core Construction Space: High school campus renovations and additions - new construction: 49,873 square feet; renovation: 171,458 square feet Renovation cost: $49,839,000 Start date: December 2011 Completion: June 2015

Chalmette High School was born in 1928 when the initial addition of a freshmen class to Meraux Elementary School led to an addition of another grade level every year. It remained the only high school in St. Bernard Parish until 1955.

Heavily damaged in Hurricane Katrina, the school returned to life with the help of architecture firm Lachin Oubre' & Associates, its original designers.

Architect Michael Lachin said he wanted to work on the project because he had been involved in the overall reconstruction of St. Bernard Parish schools days after the destruction. By working with the school board, FEMA and the state on scope alignments, LOA aimed to sensitively restore the school while bringing it up to current standards.

The project was "far and away the most demanding and most challenging project of our career," Lachin said.

But he added that it proved that a 1950s vintage structure could be adapted to accommodate the programmatic features and sophisticated building systems required of modern educational facilities.

Architects decided that because of its prominence in the community, the school's architecture should be preserved. LOA was able to salvage features including the school's defining barrel vaults, the use of natural light through curtain wall systems and the reinforced concrete structures with structural glazed block interior partitions.

They also ran into some challenges, including adaptation of the original structure with its low floor-to-floor heights, asbestos containing materials and over 50 years of building modifications that needed investigation and upgrades. Among the unique challenges confronted by the design team was performing the work without disrupting ongoing classes.

The school was able to continue operations throughout the course of construction, while contractors installed new finishes as well as mechanical, electrical and special systems throughout the campus.

Lachin said the updates enable the school to achieve energy savings of about 50 percent over the previous facility.

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