A Passing Grade
By Tony Illia

A unique joint-venture partnership has created the new $32.5 million, 52-acre Bishop Manogue Catholic High School, located at 100 Bishop Manogue Dr. in southwest Reno. Q&D Construction Inc., Reno, helped the Catholic Diocese of Reno, owner of Bishop Manogue High School, to develop, finance, design and construct the new state-of-the-art facility.

"This project was dear to my heart," said Norman Dianda, president of Q&D

Construction, who also served as the school's chairman during the '80s when his sons were students. "I firmly believe having an exceptional private school is essential to producing the great minds that will maintain and attract the highest caliber of companies in our economy."

advertisement

Founded in September 1947 by Bishop Thomas K. Gorman, the private Catholic school has more than 665 students from 9th to 12th grade. The new 132,825-sq.-ft. campus nearly doubles the size of the school's previous 47-year-old facility, located at 400 Bartlett Street in Reno. The school now has an 800 student capacity, expandable up to 1,200 students.

Completed in July, the facility features a chapel with an 80-ft.-tall, 10,000-lb. steeple brought over from Manogue's existing facility, plus three, 25-ft.-tall stained glass windows that were removed, releaded and reframed. There is also a 64-ft.-dia. student resource center, plus a music/arts wing, science facilities, an alumni plaza, and a commercial kitchen. Recreational amenities consist of a 3,500-seat football stadium, a football practice field, two softball fields, a soccer field, two gymnasium, totaling 20,500-sq. ft., and asphalt surface parking.

Designed by BJJS Durate Bryant Architects, Olympia, Wash., the Y-shaped building is a two-story steel-framed concrete block structure set on a slab foundation with spread footings. The building has a multi-colored sandblasted appearance with aluminum-framed glazing. Block was selected for its durability and resilience to Northern Nevada's harsh climate as well as for its maintenance-free abilities.

With sloped roofs and parapets to gables and steeples, the building has a varied appearance that helps break-up its mass. The interior spaces are connected by an enclosed pedestrian corridor that serves as the school central backbone.

"It's one large building but it appears as several connected building with multiple elevations," said Mel Murrary, project architect. "It looks like a village."

The building has a dramatic entrance consisting of a free-standing gothic-arch arcade built from concrete block and brick. But the school almost didn't get built. While the privately funded facility was rapidly outgrowing its old space, it didn't have a new site location selected or the resources to fund it.

Q&D Construction partnered with the Catholic Diocese to assist in a land swap with the University of Nevada, Reno, (UNR) in exchange for a joint fund-raising effort for the school's new site. Q&D guided the land search, purchase, and development. It then helped sell portions of the property to generate the initial capital needed for construction. UNR's pledge to buy the existing site for its sports programs was contingent on state funding not yet passed by lawmakers.

"It was do or die for the project," said Brian Kernan, Q&D's project manager. "Either deliver the school for the 2004-2005 year or lose funding.

We broke ground knowing that we needed to raise $10 million during construction. It was a considerable risk."

Q&D donated its pre-construction services and evaluated cost-effective building systems, materials and construction methods. It additionally contributed a portion of the initial site work necessary to develop parcels so the school could generate revenue. Q&D's suppliers and trades value engineered the project as well resulting in a $1.5 million in cost savings.

Subcontractors included Silver State Masonry, Reno; Martin Iron Works, Sparks; Savage & Son Inc., Reno; Metal Drywall Systems, Reno; Lindell's Painting Service, Reno; and Midstate Specialties Co. Inc., among others. The project took seven years of pre-development in order to become a reality.

The school itself took only 15 months to build and complete, finishing ahead of schedule and on budget.

"Without Norm Dianda, there would be no new Bishop Manogue Catholic High School," said Mike Quilici, director of development for the Catholic Diocese of Reno.

In appreciation for his support, Bishop Manogue Catholic High School named the two-story academic building after Dianda and his wife, Laura, a former graduate.

>A Passing Grade
>Not Fancy But Functional