High school architect under investigation

October 23, 2008

Rocky Mount High School

By Michelle Cruz
Nashville Graphic

NASHVILLE - After a closed session at their meeting Monday night, the Nash-Rocky Mount Schools (N-RMS) board released public documents regarding a new state investigation of Oakley Collier Architects (OCA), the firm they chose to head up the new Rocky Mount High School project.

One document is a letter from the NC Board of Architecture's (NCBA) professional standards committee, requesting information pertinent to their investigation into "possible unprofessional conduct by architects licensed in this state."

Another document is a letter from the attorney of Schuller, Ferris, Lindstrom, and Associates (SFL+a) Architects, the other top architectural firm in the running for the new school project, asking that the board "immediately suspend further discussions with Oakley Collier Architects" due to "unprofessional conduct of a competitor."

After listening to presentations from the top four out of 10 architectural firms interested in the new school project, the board had voted 6-4 in favor of SFL+a in their August work session. Because the vote was not unanimous, the board cast official votes in their September meeting with a surprising vote of 6-5 against SFL+a and a subsequent vote of 10-1 in favor of OCA, mainly because it is a Rocky Mount based firm.

OCA partnered with national architectural firm Fanning Howey Architects (FHA) for this project, and proposes that FH do the actual design work for the new school.

SFL+a attorney Garris Neil Yarborough explained in his letter to N-RMS superintendent Rick McMahon, dated Sept. 18, that "although my clients do not blame the Board of Education...for the actions of Oakley Collier Architects, it is the responsibility of the Board of Education to comply with the relevant procurement statutes for obtaining architectural services."

"My client requests that the Board of Education reconsider its action of September 8, 2008 and resume negotiations with SFL+a Architects....[T]hey will not allow the unprofessional conduct of a competitor to prevent them from obtaining work for which they were properly selected and for which they are eminently well qualified to perform."

As the board continued working with OCA, the Yarborough Law Firm took its letter to the NCBA, which decided to investigate the matter further.

Addressed to N-RMS board chairman Evelyn Bulluck, the NCBA letter asks that the system supply copies of the responses to the requests for quotes for the new high school by Oct. 28. "Specifically," NCBA executive director Cathe M. Evans writes, "the Committee would like to review responses from SFL+a and Oakley Collier Architects."

At their regular meeting earlier this month, the N-RMS board requested the administration to renegotiate with OCA for design fees lower than their proposed $1.98 million, and to ask OCA to provide the board with the newest high school design FHA has completed in the state, prices and time frames for different designs, and an itemized list of "green" initiatives with the up-front costs and long-term cost savings.

The board received their requested information and fee revision from OCA last week with the following proposals for designs, fees, time frame, and "green" initiatives.

The prototype design, one in which the design is based entirely on a previous building with slight changes, will take 27.5 months to complete and cost $1.68 million.

The hybrid/component design, one in which each part of the design is taken from various previous designs and fit together, will take 29.5 months to complete and cost $1.93 million.

A custom design, prepared from scratch, will take over 33 months to complete and cost $2.3 million.

OCA listed several concepts that they propose will lower the new high school's operating cost by 30% over those who do not have "green" designs. These concepts include computer design modeling to set energy consumption goals, site impact initiatives, and material selections and indoor air quality standards.

Most of the FHA high school designs offered to the board for review as prototype designs for the new school were completed as collaborations with local architects. The newest high schools FHA has completed in the state are Holly Springs (2006), Middle Creek (2001), Green Hope (1999), and Wakefield (1999) high schools in Raleigh.

These Raleigh high schools were all completed in collaboration with Cherry Huffman Architects, another firm who submitted a proposal to head up the new N-RMS high school project. It is not clear in the information OCA prepared if FHA or CHA completed the actual designs.

OCA pointed out to the board that FHA's 2003 design of A. J. Dimond High School in Anchorage, AK, "addresses several program requirements that are similar to Rocky Mount High School (compact plan includes: large central atrium for supervision and security, classroom ‘house' arrangements, no formal auditorium, identifiable and controlled entry, etc.)....The layout meets NC School Planning standards and offers simple adjustments for the additional modifications and site adaptation that would be required by NRMPS program/capacity requirements."