Top Projects of 2025: Pulaski Community School District – Sunnyside Elementary

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The Pulaski Community School District’s Sunnyside Elementary project involved a 45,700-square-foot addition and renovation of an existing 64,000-square-foot school, impacting approximately 109,700 square feet of space within a fully occupied facility. C.D. Smith Construction served as construction manager and general contractor, with Bray Associates Architects leading design.

A growing enrollment prompted the district to expand the school, which featured a basement level and interior classrooms entirely lacking natural light. Rather than abandon the basement or construct a larger addition, the project team carved a two-story collaboration hub from the building’s center core, installing a skylight that channels daylight into formerly windowless lower-level classrooms.

Executing major structural demolition within an occupied school demanded engineered temporary shoring systems, remote-controlled robotic demolition equipment and large cranes to remove intact structural sections. Contractors worked a second shift to complete the most invasive mechanical, electrical, plumbing and fire protection work without disrupting instruction. Phasing plans maintained secure student access throughout construction.

The finished project modernized learning environments, increased functional capacity and transformed roughly 30,000 square feet of dark interior and basement space into bright, functional classrooms. Upgraded mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems reduce long-term energy consumption while extending the building’s lifecycle, reinforcing Sunnyside Elementary’s role as a neighborhood anchor for the Pulaski community.

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