CLH provided civil engineering and landscape architecture design services for the replacement school for Northern High School in Durham. The current high school was too small to house a full high school program. The existing campus was a mixture of aged buildings and subsequent renovations that no longer meet the educational or technological needs of the facility. CLH participated in a rigorous site analysis of more than 12 different sites. This process narrowed the potential site selection to two site options. Building options were then developed and the site off Roxboro Road was selected.
The site has steep and rolling topography, as well as several stream buffers. Access to the site is from the west off Roxboro Road at two locations, and both have stream crossings to arrive at main campus. The building is located on the southeast portion of the site with student parking on the west, staff parking on the northwest and south, and bus parking on the east. The stadium, ball fields, and other athletic facilities are organized along the north and northwest portions of the site. CLH worked through all phases of design with the project team, owner and authorities having jurisdiction to produce construction level drawings which include demolition, erosion control, layout and staking, grading and stormwater, utilities, planting, irrigation and details. The site design reflects the requirement of NCDOT MSTA and the City of Durham requirements for on-site vehicular queuing and circulation. The site design incorporated in important features of the existing school. The “Spirit Rock” is included at the entry to the stadium complex and “Geoffrey Giraffe”, Northern Durham’s unofficial mascot, was relocated to the central courtyard.
