Supporting Building Enclosure Performance Across Five New Schools

Technical Assurance was engaged by Heapy to provide building enclosure commissioning (BECx) services for Fremont Local School District’s new educational facilities. The $107 million program encompassed approximately 425,600 square feet across four new elementary schools and Fremont Ross High School.

The four elementary schools—Atkinson, Croghan, Lutz, and Otis—were each approximately 56,200 square feet, while the new Fremont Ross High School encompassed approximately 200,800 square feet. Each new facility was constructed on the site of the corresponding existing school, with the existing buildings scheduled for demolition following construction.

Establishing Performance Requirements During Design

Technical Assurance’s commissioning involvement began with review and refinement of the Owner’s Project Requirements and support in developing the Basis of Design for the building enclosure. The team established measurable enclosure performance criteria, testing standards, and methodologies to validate the design against project requirements.

During design development and construction documentation, Technical Assurance provided independent third-party reviews of enclosure drawings and specifications. The commissioning plan considered enclosure durability, performance, energy efficiency, maintenance, materials and systems, occupancy, climate, acoustics, aesthetics, and other project-specific requirements.

Verifying Installation and Performance During Construction

During construction, Technical Assurance provided quality observation, functional testing, and other quality assurance services to evaluate installed building enclosure systems against established performance requirements.

Performance testing included infrared scanning of thermal and air barrier systems and roofing systems, storefront water infiltration testing, water hose testing, and weather-barrier coating adhesion testing. These procedures provided objective verification of enclosure installation and performance as construction progressed.

Continuing Commissioning Through Post-Occupancy

Construction of the four elementary schools was completed in summer 2020, followed by completion of Fremont Ross High School in 2021. Technical Assurance’s involvement continued beyond construction through a post-occupancy review completed in 2022, extending the commissioning process into building operation.