Howard High School of Technology Renovations

Through close consultation with ABHA Architects as well as two New Castle County-appointed historical consultants, our team meticulously recreated the inside of Howard High School of Technology as it stood in 1927 but equipped with modern building management systems. When we removed the old hardwood floors, walls, and aged building management systems, recreating the building’s charm and aesthetic was top priority. The newly installed nine-panel custom wooden doors matched the original doors. The intricate masonry and millwork stayed true to its original form. The external brickwork matched its original design. The intent was to be able to hold up a picture of the Annex and Main Building from 1927 and a picture of those same structures in 2019 and be unable to tell the difference. EDiS’ commitment to historical preservation ran so deep that the team made sure everything down to the color of the limestone and brick matched their original shade.

By combining the mechanical, electrical, technological, and sprinkler bid packages to include both phases, our team was able to provide our tradesmen a system of continuity taking place in both buildings while also cutting down on construction time. Also essential to our timely success on this project was the inclusion of EDiS BIM Services Team’s extensive scanning. During an external scan of the Annex, our BIM/VDC team discovered a damaged parapet that posed a dangerous threat to students and our construction team if it went unaddressed. The parapet was cracked, and the structural integrity had worsened to a point where it was an accident waiting to happen. To the naked eye, this parapet was seemingly intact, but to EDiS’ precise scanning technology, it was cracked and skewed by one inch. Working together, the EDiS team developed a plan to address this feature, saving time, money, and keeping the campus safe from disaster.