Cobb Innovation & Technology Academy | Carroll Daniel Construction

Beyond Traditional Classrooms

The Cobb Innovation & Technology Academy (CITA) is a first of its kind facility for Cobb County School District. The 67,648 SF, one-story steel-framed CMU in-filled addition was constructed on an occupied high school site that was also undergoing a major phased re-build by Carroll Daniel Construction. The new career training facility for high school aged students is built to house administration, multi-purpose spaces, flexible-use classrooms, and CTAE programs including: Healthcare, Cyber Networking, Automotive Technology, HVAC, Welding and Construction Technology.

Instead of traditional classrooms, the facility mainly consists of large lab spaces with pathway-related equipment and some flexible spaces. In an emergency medical classroom, an ambulance simulator helps a hypothetical ambulance trip to a hospital come to life. In a welding area, there are welding simulators, 10 welding stations, a plasma table, roller and drill presses. Lab spaces at CITA include:

Automotive
Construction
HVAC
Electrical
Welding
Heavy Equipment Simulation
Carpentry
Masonry
Healthcare
Nursing
EMT
Cybersecurity
Business
And More

A Multifaceted Project

As a construction project, this was like building a hospital, an auto shop, a beauty school, and more—all under one roof. With many unique, disparate components, this project was truly “one of a kind” for Carroll Daniel. The project team stepped up to every challenge, coordinating extensively with the owner, architect, community, and other construction team on site. Collaboration, planning, and creative problem-solving were key to bringing CITA to life.

Emphasizing Safety on an Occupied Campus

One of the major safety considerations on this project was that it was taking place on an occupied and extremely busy campus. This project was built alongside Osborne High School – an active high school campus undergoing a major phased construction project also being completed by Carroll Daniel Construction, all while remaining occupied. Separation and careful logistical planning were key to ensuring safety on the site. The project team coordinated extensively with the Osborne High School project team on activities, deliveries, logistics, and safety measures.

With multiple large-scale construction projects going on at the same time on the Osborne High School campus – all while students remained in the building – the Carroll Daniel team was steady and organized from the beginning, with a focus on keeping everyone safe and not interrupting the education process.

David A. Jackson

Former SPLOST Department Construction Manager, Cobb County School District

Related Case Studies

Alliance Academy for Innovation + New Parking Deck

The Alliance Academy for Innovation is Forsyth County Schools’ first STEM high school. A second phase of construction included adding a three-story parking deck to the active and occupied campus.

Osborne High School

The Osborne High School Rebuild project included the phased demolition and replacement of approximately half of the existing buildings on campus, as well as renovations to the interiors of the remaining buildings on campus.

East Forsyth High School

Carroll Daniel continued its partnership with Forsyth County Schools to construct the new East Forsyth High School, a 431,366 SF education facility and athletic complex that can accommodate 2,125 students.

Seckinger High School

Seckinger High School is a new four-story, 510,000 SF next-generation learning environment that includes a mechatronics lab, advanced learning spaces, a stadium and a field house.

KIPP Atlanta Collegiate Expansion & Renovation

Building strong foundations in the heart of Atlanta on an occupied campus.

Woodson Park Academy & YMCA

The 140,500 SF Woodson Park Academy & YMCA project included a new K-8 school, a YMCA, and a Community Wellness Clinic and Early Learning Center to benefit a historically under-served community in West Atlanta.