"With the huge investment in the renovation and construction of educational facilities being made today, it is critical for school officials and the design and construction team to make the right economic decisions," said John Ware, senior vice president and general manager of RSMeans. "By combining the expertise gained by the authors over many years and scores of projects with RSMeans' comprehensive cost data, this book will help the industry deliver real value for the nation's school system."

Building & Renovating Schools provides guidelines for developing planning documents and selecting the design team; the latest "green" design standards and technologies; key issues in integrating computer, security, and building automation; and the special requirements of spaces such as sports facilities, performing arts centers, library/media centers, computer and language labs, and science, art, and vocational classrooms. The book also provides guidance on estimating school construction projects and monitoring and controlling costs, the role of project team members, the construction contract and bidding, and the construction schedule.

The publication includes case studies for recently completed school projects, which offer a cost-focused look at these facilities' needs and challenges, proposed solutions, and final results - with total costs broken down by construction division. Also provided are current RSMeans square foot cost models for "generic" elementary, middle, and high school facilities, including costs for individual building components such as classrooms, auditoriums, administration areas, gyms, libraries, and swimming pools - with location factors to adjust these costs to over 900 locations in the U.S. and Canada.

For more information on RSMeans publications, call Andrea St. Ours at 800-334-3509, ext. 5035.

Publication date: 06/28/2004