Project FROG May Push School Trailers to Leap Ahead
SAN FRANCISCO – Mayor Gavin Newsom unveiled "Project Frog," a modular classroom prototype that offers schools a high-performance building that straddles the line between a permanent facility and a modular trailer.
Newsom made the announcement at San Francisco City Hall on March 21 before a crowd of local TV newscasters, concerned citizens and city officials.
Developed by San Francisco-based architectural firm MKThink, FROG (Flexible Response to Ongoing Growth) is designed to meet schools’ growing need for flexible, high-tech and hygienic temporary classrooms – a need brought to national attention by the recent Gulf Coast destruction wrought by hurricanes Katrina and Rita.
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| School Construction News Editor Hava Leisner questions Mayor Newsom about his plan to move students out of trailers and relocate them into "Project FROG" classrooms. All photos: Eli Gage |
FROG is a modular system comprising three integrated parts: the Shed, the Sled, and the Power Pack.
The Shed, which houses the actual learning environment, is a lightweight expandable frame with interchangeable wall panels. By varying the materials in the panels (such as fiberglass, tensile fabric, glass) the units can be customized for different climates and uses.
The Sled is a universal platform to which the Shed attaches. It accommodates the telecommunications and electrical infrastructure as well as the distribution for heating, cooling and ventilation.
The Power Pack clips on to one end of the FROG. Its base and rear unit accommodate the main HVAC, electrical and lighting panels and controls, while the remainder of the compartment can serve various specialized user functions ranging from a restroom to fume hoods and other specialized lab equipment.
The system can be received as a kit of parts or preassembled and brought onsite as a single unit. Bakir Begovic, vice president of B&H Engineering, the designer of FROG’s metal panels, says that every single kit can be put together "in two weeks by two people" without heavy equipment.
MKThink plans to make formal submission of FROG to the Division of the State Architect by the end of March, according to Mark Miller, AIA, company CEO and principal. The DSA acts as California’s policy leader for building design and construction, and provides design and construction oversight for K-12 schools and community colleges.