West Des Moines, IA
It started simply enough: replace the boiler. With rising energy costs, replacing the 50-year-old boiler at Sacred Heart School seemed like the right investment for the growing parish in West Des Moines, Iowa.
Before moving ahead, a steering committee conducted an overall study of the K-8 school. They made a "big wish list" of things students, teachers and staff needed. Each focus group shared what would be nice to have and what was truly necessary.
The results showed that much more was needed to maximize the parish’s investment in the school. Many more students were attending Sacred Heart than it was designed to serve. The kitchen was built to serve about 150 children, but 550 students attend the school now. Classrooms doubled as band and vocal music rooms. Teachers and students endured noisy, congested hallways.
Shive-Hattery's staff worked with McEntee and the Sacred Heart steering committee to study the options. Analysis showed that improved circulation, programming and cosmetic updates could transform Sacred Heart School for the next generation. The simple boiler project blossomed into a privately-funded, $6.25 million renovation project that transformed the entire school, parish offices and church.
Sacred Heart went through an "extreme makeover" with new finishes, a geothermal HVAC system, revised layout for the administrative area, a larger updated kitchen, a front entrance with stairway and an area dedicated to the band and vocal music programs, including a stage.
<< back
tags: church, elementary school