Wholistic Planning. The Lea Hill Elementary School replacement project for Auburn School District was the third of three new elementary school construction projects delivered as GC/CM with Absher Construction. The new 74,400 square-foot school facility included general classrooms (such as music and special education), an administration area, gymnasium, library, kitchen, and other support spaces.

Absher and the design team collaborated with Auburn School District to ensure that critical phasing planning allowed students and staff to temporarily move into the recently completed Willow Crest Elementary School while demolition of the existing Lea Hill facility could be completed.

100-Yr Design Standard. From the beginning, an Auburn School District “100-Yr Standard” was established - a theme that would be carried from planning, throughout the design and construction process. All decisions came back to this theme to ensure the Auburn SD community was provided with K-12 facilities that would be able to meet their needs for generations to come. Durable materials such as full-height brick veneer, efficient floor planning, and state-of-the-art mechanical and electrical systems all contributed to meeting this standard.