Bismarck Public Schools – Career Academy 

 Owner:                         Bismarck Public Schools

 Architect:                     Tvenge Architects and Planners

 Engineer:                     CW Structural

 General Contractor:       Northwest Contracting

  A look at Career Academy

When considering their new school on the Bismarck State College campus, near the existing Career & Technical Education Center, it was clear there was one building product that would provide the magnitude this space should portray. Bismarck Public Schools has a history of working with precast; the decision was easy particularly given the need for speed through construction. 

 The center has enrollment of nearly 800 students annually from nine different public and private high schools.  The academy offers hands-on coursework in aviation, horticulture/botany (complete with a greenhouse), pre-engineering/technology education, medical-related careers, electronics, graphic design/digital design and a resource room. 

 Description

The site this building was constructed on presented some challenges through design as the building was set into a hillside. Additionally, the inherent time crunch prevalent in school construction, made a natural fit for precast as speed of construction offers a compelling advantage. 

 Finally, precast offered the durability and minimal maintenance a public school warrants. This building was produced in Wells Concrete’s Grand Forks plant and shipped to the site where Northwest Contracting installed the product.  The design offered an aesthetically pleasing mix of precast, metal panels, and mirrored glass that really make this building stand out on the Bismarck State College campus.