Snodgrass & Sons Construction Co., Inc.

Architect:

David Haines

Scope Of Work

The multi-phase vision of which started with the Trinity High School building began as a plowed field in a not yet developed area of northwest Wichita.  A lone windmill, which still exists today, stood as a sentry over the area. At the time, there were a few homes and only two buildings in the surrounding area. Snodgrass & Sons coordinated all the sub-contractors working as general contractor on this project.

Trinity was designed and built economically. The original plans included a slab on grade one-story metal building with two colors of burnished block as the exterior finish. Snodgrass & Sons placed all of the footings and concrete flat work. The structural steel and roof panels were done by Sharp Construction, LLC.

The original building features a main entrance to the east, with parking on the northwest and a loop drive which surrounded the building. Inside the main entrance there is commons room (seats appx. 80) and commons area, which functions as a cafeteria, assembly, and all purpose room. The full featured commercial kitchen is adjacent to the commons room where lunches are prepared. A serving line area is between the kitchen and the commons room.

A full size high school gymnasium wing, 125’ x 125’, is further to the west. This area includes restrooms, and also locker rooms, athletic offices, storage, maintenance, and janitorial rooms. Above the locker rooms, is a mezzanine with weightlifting; the locker rooms are of block wall construction with a 4” fiberglass reinforced concrete cap placed on precast hollow-core concrete to support all the weightlifting equipment.

The gymnasium came with its own unique challenge. The concrete floor needed to be within 1/8″ so when they added the wood floor on top, they didn’t need to shim the height of the floor. Special self-leveling concrete was utilized. The wood gym floor was laid out to accommodate several sports, basketball, volleyball, and more. Basketball can be played as one regulation court or two smaller courts.

To the north of the commons room is the education wing with administrative offices and 16 classrooms. There is another men and women restroom in this area.  An electric pottery kiln was installed in the art room. Two science rooms featured lab style tables with electricity, natural gas, and water hook ups as needed. The music room contained built in bleachers.

Westar Energy, Inc. brought in a new transformer and primary power to the building. Snodgrass & Sons trenched and placed the conduit for the primary and secondary underground lines, and the domestic water. They also trenched and placed all the storm water concrete pipe, and the pressure sanitary sewer. Because the area was so new to the City of Wichita, sanitary sewer was close to a half mile away. Messiah Baptist Church, across the 21st Street, tied into this pressure sewer, also.

Mechanical Systems, Inc. performed the mechanical and plumbing, Linder & Associates, Inc. installed electric, and Drywall Systems, Inc. for the sheetrock installation. Drywall Systems, Inc. also placed the Exterior Insulation Finishing System (EIFS) on the exterior where called for.

Snodgrass & Sons helped with a soccer field and the KSHSAA certified baseball diamond. A track and football field was placed east of the school.

A pond was enlarged to the east to include a mascot atop a concrete pedestal in the middle of the pond. The pond work had to be coordinated with the weather. Any rain would stop the pond progression. The pond was completed but the pedestal still needed to be put in place. The concrete pedestal was added on a Friday, and the rain came in Saturday which completely filled up the pond.

What started as undeveloped farmland ended up as a beautiful high school complex. Trinity High School had a full enrollment its first semester in this building. And the windmill that stood sentry over the farmland is still watching over this complex today.