PS-IS 42

Client: NYC SCA
Location: Queens, NY

PS/IS 42 Queens, located on the Rockaway peninsula in Queens, New York, is an existing K-8 public school serving 800 students. The six-story addition to this historic building increased the capacity by approximately 400 students to meet the current and projected needs of the local community. The addition expanded general and specialized classroom space, including science laboratories, and provided a kitchen and cafeteria complex and a physical education complex, including a full-sized gymnasium. The project also addressed the serious problem of accessibility in the existing building (no elevators existed) while respecting the flood hazard constraints of the area.

The project also involved selective renovations to the existing building, including exterior modifications necessary to accommodate new addition, elimination of north scissor stair (to be replaced in addition), extension of existing corridors, relocation/consolidation of communication, signal, and life safety systems, relocation/ consolidation of utilities, conversion of existing first floor playroom to administrative suite, as well as conversion of existing lunch room to new pre-K/K suite, conversion of existing principal’s office to parents/community room, conversion of existing general office into typical classroom

Subsequent to the completion of the 54,271 sq. ft. addition and renovation of the existing school building, an additional assignment was undertaken by our team which included replacement of the entire roof on the exiting PS 42 building as well renovation of the existing fire alarm/suppression system.

The roof replacement project was the result of several pre-existing Existing Building Violations (ECB) which included water penetration at rooftop fan room at south-side double doors, water penetration into multiple rooms on the 5^th Floor; 1^st Floor stairwell E&F as well as along the auditorium wall. This water penetration also caused ceiling damage which needed to be addressed and repaired.

The second part of this project required design of a new fire alarm system for the existing building. The SCA had requested that we implement revisions to all floors of existing building to incorporate a new Fire Alarm System. This system was put in place prior to taking existing Fire Alarm system off line.

The scope had been requested by SCA in an effort to receive appropriate sign-off from the fire inspector. Existing devices were replaced with new devices including, initiating appliance devices (area smoke detectors, duct smoke detectors, heat detectors, manual pull stations), notification appliance devices (audible and visual devices), and actuation devices (control relays for fan shutdown). New devices were connected directly to the fire alarm panel located in the New Addition main lobby. Wiring was run in surface mounted RGS raceway throughout the building. The project was completed in September 2012.