Since its founding in 2010, Wolfrum Roofing & Exteriors in Ohio has worked on many high-profile projects. Universities, housing complexes, libraries and even a facility that trains and provides guide dogs to people with physical impairments have turned to the company for its services.
The company’s roofing project at the new Upper Arlington High School is another marquee job for the company. Work began in March 2020 and was completed in August 2021, covering 248,210 square feet of the new school.
The new structure is a community treasure. The $115 million project includes a two-story library, an 11-lane indoor pool, gymnasium with a capacity of 2,000, learning spaces with natural light and sustainable energy systems. The building replaces a structure that opened in 1956 — legendary golfer Jack Nicklaus was among the first graduates from the old building — and is nearly 100,000 square feet more than the previous structure.
Upper Arlington is ranked as one of the top districts in Ohio, and the high school construction project was one of six projects, either new builds or renovations, recently completed by the district. Energy efficiency was a priority in each project at Upper Arlington, along with providing flexible and collaborative spaces.
“We’re investing in our children’s future and this high school will serve students for the next 50, 60 and 70 years,’’ says Chris Potts, the district’s chief operating officer. “At our grand opening, we had over 5,000 people come through in a three-hour period. It is not the school district’s building, it’s the community’s building. And I think the community has a lot to be proud of after a four year process to design this building together.”
Roofing Details
The roofing team installed a Carlisle FleeceBACK TPO white membrane, which includes fleece reinforcement to deliver a thick, durable sheet and increased protection against tears, punctures, hail and extreme weather. The energy efficient membrane also increases the R-value — which was of particular importance to the district and its focus on efficiency — and is wind resistant from 90-945 psf.
The project also includes two layers of 2.6-inch InsulBase insulation and Carlisle’s Flexible FAST low-rise foam adhesive. The adhesive reduces membrane application time and eliminates the need to pre-drill into concrete and gypsum decks.
Roof Attachments
The team from Wolfrum had to be concerned with more than just the roof installation. Gary Henry, superintendent for Wolfrum, points out that multiple rooftop assemblies made the project unique.
“There were many different roof assemblies specified by the design team,’’ Henry says. “The multitude of different hatches, skylights and roof penetrations that were integrated in the warranted roofing system made it one of the more elaborate projects we’ve installed.”
The project included 12 domed skylights, which help bring natural light into the building. Natural light in education construction is a recurring theme, as evidence suggests it improves student learning.
There are three units for rooftop mechanicals that Henry notes are 40 feet long by 8 feet wide. They have walk-up access from inside the building.
Acoustical Smoke Vents
Music and performance are an important part of the curriculum at Upper Arlington, and that also played into one other important component of the roofing project. Roofers installed four acoustical smoke vents manufactured by BILCO on top of a new performing arts center. The vents are 66 inches by 144 inches, the largest made by the specialty access manufacturer.
Smoke vents play an integral role in any commercial building project. They protect property and aid firefighters in bringing a fire under control by removing smoke, heat and gases from a burning building.
Acoustical smoke vents go one step further and guard against noise intrusion. The BILCO vents feature industry-high STC-50 and OITC-46 sounds ratings, and are frequently used in concert halls, theaters and other applications that seek to limit noise interference from external sources.
The performing arts center at Upper Arlington sits in close proximity to the football stadium. “The architects [Perkins+Will and Moody Nolan] had past experience with BILCO acoustical smoke vents and they performed well,’’ says Henry. “The theater is near the football stadium, and the vents will help control noise from there.”
The vents are an important feature for the performing arts center, which has a seating capacity of 1,550 and is perhaps the most technologically sophisticated of any Ohio high school.
“It was important to us to give them the type of facility that they deserved,’’ Potts said. “There’s a Broadway style orchestra pit for our amazing orchestra and sightlines in that facility are incredible. The technology package that went into that facility would rival many of the main performing theaters here in Columbus.”
Investing in Students
Upper Arlington is ranked as one of the top districts in Ohio by several educational platforms. Its community is engaged in the education process, and supportive of their children and the district. The new school, and the extensive roofing project, demonstrate the community’s commitment toward making its facilities the best they can be with the resources they have.
“It’s always exciting for the community when they get a new school,’’ Potts said. “The kids, the teachers and the staff are excited. It’s a positive thing. But there are a lot of I’s to be dotted and T’s to be crossed. It became clear that we wanted to create a building that would serve generations to come, and that it would educate kids the way they’re being educated today. The old building served the community well, but it was time for an update.”
About the author: Thomas Renner writes on building, construction and other trade industry topics for publications throughout the United States and Canada.
TEAM
Architects: Perkins+Will, Chicago, Illinois, perkinswill.com, and Moody Nolan, Columbus, Ohio, moodynolan.com
Roofing Contractor: Wolfrum Roofing & Exteriors, Delaware, Ohio, wolfrumroofing.com
MATERIALS
Membrane: FleeceBACK TPO white membrane, Carlisle Syntec, carlislesyntec.com
Acoustical Smoke Vents: BILCO, bilco.com
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