Central West Palm Beach High School

The Central West Palm Beach School District, familiar with the benefits of Tilt-Up construction, selected the construction method for the 256,000-square-foot high school, because of its need for cost-effective and durable facilities completed in a short timeframe.

Judges selected this project for the interesting detailing, and the canopies and exterior walk ways that broke down the scale of the project.

This project involved nine buildings clustered together on a tight site. The challenges included staging so many structures in such a tight space while adhering to an unheard of schedule – 18 weeks for shell construction of all nine structures. Each structure has its own unique attributes, five are multi-story, and the auditorium presented special challenges with sloped floors and 50-foot ceilings in the gymnasium.

Although construction began in the summer of 2002, all nine structures were completed in time for the 2003 school year. Tilt-Up allowed the School Board to respond to the growing community and provide an educational venue for approximately 1,200 students.

A variety of cast-in formliners added relief to the large structures. One of the ribbed formliners was used in a diagonal fashion to achieve a herringbone pattern. The formliner work was extensive and complex, requiring great attention to detail.

Further, visual interest was created by casting themed motifs -- about four-feet in diameter -- that correspond with the building’s purpose.