Education

The near-century-old Rock Island High School has new life after a renovation/addition of more than 60,000 square feet. The $10.8 million project required a complex reconfiguration of the main floor including a relocation of the main office, nurses’ office, administrator, and athletic director offices to improve overall flow and accessibility. The adjustments required an addition to the existing building.

A major transformation to the school’s main entryway creates a modern and welcoming first impression while enhancing security measures. Just inside, students can now enjoy a college-like atmosphere with a new and improved cafeteria as well as lavished common areas to socialize, study and relax.

Rocky’s exterior also got some much-needed attention including safety and efficiency upgrades to the pick-up/drop-off areas, expanded staff parking, and new outdoor courtyard spaces to enjoy. The library and various classrooms throughout the school were also renovated.

As school was in session for the majority of construction, our team coordinated closely with officials to ensure as little disruption as possible to staff and students.

McMullen Hall is nestled on the southwest corner of the St. Ambrose University campus and is the new, state-of-the-art home to the University’s College of Business. The $8.6 million project included the renovation of the existing 38,000 SQFT building and a 16,000 SQFT addition. According to St. Ambrose, “a major focus of the project has been the integration of old and new, reflecting the University’s agility while holding tight to our history and mission.”

The new addition features ten new classrooms and a student commons area highlighted, a sales lab with six individual team rooms, a tiered lecture classroom, and a finance lab. The varied classroom styles assist the University in preparing students for the business world, which focuses on teams and collaboration. The renovation of the existing building converted existing classrooms into faculty offices and added a Dean’s office suite.

The Student Life Addition at United Township High School consists of a 25,624 SF addition and 6,687 SF renovation of the administrative offices, Media Collections Center, Student Store
and Café. It also features a Student Life Area which provides a gathering space for students that serves as a central location for students to gather, socialize, and interact with each other. The Student Life Area is connected to the existing cafeteria that consists of 19,059 SF and underwent a cosmetic renovation as part of this project.

The American Institute of Architects (AIA) Iowa named the United Township High School project a 2020 People’s Choice Award Winners.  OPN Architects led the design of this exceptional project that we are pleased to be the construction manager of.

The 16,000 SF Black Hawk College project created a welcoming entrance for all students, especially new and prospective students. The goal of this project was to create a new “front door” for the Black Hawk QC Campus.

Bush Construction was able to construct precisely what the college wanted while completing the project 4 months ahead of schedule. The addition of several owner-requested change orders were executed to ensure the client’s complete satisfaction with all aspects of the project.

We were able to coordinate these changes, while never losing sight of our schedule. This early completion allowed the owner to begin operations well before the anticipated timeframe.

Demolition and construction activities commenced while the semester was in session. To accommodate the students, flooring in existing corridors needed to be completed over weekends and holidays. It is our goal, at Bush Construction, to work closely with the client to meet their needs, especially when that involves working in an occupied space.