Deer Park Elementary School Feasibility Study

Design Collective was tasked by Baltimore County Public Schools (BCPS) to prepare a Feasibility Study of Deer Park Elementary School. The study followed the State of Maryland IAC requirements, reviewing options of renovating or replacing the existing school. Extensive review of the existing 1972 building was included in the study, including the systems, building envelope, spatial analysis, site constraints, finishes, and overall compliance with their current Educational Specifications. Several conceptual plan options were developed to illustrate possible design directions, including renovations and additions, a new two-story replacement building and a new three-story replacement building.

The Owner and Architect reviewed the various options, including the degree to which each satisfied the overall goals, Life Cycle Cost Analyses, expected construction durations, implications of phased occupied renovations on the students and staff, and final site plan configurations. This resulted in a recommendation to replace the building with a new two-story school on an adjacent site, allowing the existing building to remain in operation, while the new one is constructed remote from occupied areas of the site. The Architect presented a summary of the study to an meeting of interested parents, staff and community members.