American Modular Systems

Scope Of Work

Tustin High’s Master Plan called for the addition of a two-story classroom building on the school’s historic campus—the oldest in the Tustin Unified School District. When a site-built structure proved too costly, Tustin USD and the project’s General Contractor, Balfour Beatty Construction, worked with American Modular Systems (AMS) to modularize the design, based on conventional plans provided by Little Diversified Architects. The new 14,000-square-foot building includes 12 modern classrooms, restroom facilities and faculty work space in an L-shaped configuration, delivered on a very short timeline to meet the school’s pressing needs. To preserve the unique detail of the 1920s campus, the AMS building façade features custom architectural enhancements that aesthetically bridge old and new, honoring the community’s heritage while giving students state-of-the-art space for 21stcentury learning.

Challenged with tight budget and time constraints, AMS found creative solutions for customizing the two-story building. Blended ruffle face brick accents the 40-foot end walls, echoing old brick used throughout the campus. Instead of transom windows, three colors of ceramic deco tiles were handmade and factory-installed above each exterior door, matching the original tiles on existing buildings. To meet District requirements for a unique hot dipped galvanized picket hand rail system, AMS substituted solid steel pickets for the typical tube steel pickets, ensuring a low-maintenance balcony system that doesn’t need painting. AMS also upgraded systems for greater energy efficiency and reduced operating costs. High efficiency 14 SEER HVAC systems are mounted on the building’s cool roof and controlled via an Energy Management System. LED lighting is equipped with occupancy sensors, dual glazed windows have 50% tinting and low-flow fixtures save water, enhancing comfort while conserving resources.