Building Around the Bell: Keeping Construction Moving While School Is in Session
When people think about school construction, they often picture empty hallways and quiet campuses during summer break. In reality, many educational projects take place while classes are still in session, students are learning, and faculty members are carrying out their daily responsibilities.
Successfully completing these projects requires more than construction expertise, it requires careful planning, strategic scheduling, and constant communication. At Brindley Construction, we've partnered with school systems and universities to modernize facilities while minimizing disruptions to students, teachers, and staff.
Communication Comes First
One of the most important factors in any occupied educational project is communication. Before work begins, our team collaborates closely with school administrators, facility managers, and faculty to understand schedules, identify potential challenges, and develop a construction plan that prioritizes both safety and learning.
Whether we're working in a K-12 school or on a university campus, maintaining open lines of communication allows us to adapt to changing schedules, coordinate activities, and keep stakeholders informed every step of the way.
Giles County Schools: Upgrading Facilities While Learning Continues
Our work within the Giles County School System demonstrates how thoughtful planning can allow major facility improvements to take place without interrupting education.
At Giles County High School, our partnership began in March 2023 with a carefully scheduled plan of action. During the summer months, our team completed demolition and replacement of the front main hall plumbing to accommodate HVAC and domestic water upgrades. Exterior windows throughout the building were also replaced before students returned to campus.
Once the school year resumed, the work continued. Rather than disrupting large portions of the building at once, classrooms were renovated in phases. Our team would complete upgrades to four or five classrooms at a time, allowing teachers to move into their newly renovated spaces before work began on the next group of classrooms. This process continued until all classrooms received upgrades.
The project required constant coordination and strategic scheduling to ensure noisy activities were completed at appropriate times and learning environments remained protected throughout construction.
A similar approach was taken at Bridgeforth Middle School. Through close collaboration with school leadership, our team worked around the school's schedule and strategically rotated teachers into available classrooms as renovations were completed. This phased approach allowed upgrades to continue while minimizing disruption to students and faculty.
Today, our partnership with Giles County Schools continues through ongoing projects at Richland High School and Pulaski Elementary School. These projects reflect our long-term commitment to helping educational facilities evolve and improve while continuing to serve their communities.
The University of Tennessee Southern: Planning Around Campus Life
The same principles that guide our work in K-12 education also apply to higher education environments.
At the University of Tennessee Southern, communication and planning played a critical role in maintaining normal campus operations while construction activities progressed. During renovations to Upperman Hall, work began before the semester had fully concluded. Our team strategically completed tasks that could be performed while the residence hall remained occupied, carefully coordinating activities to avoid unnecessary disruption to students living on campus.
Once students departed for the summer, more extensive demolition and renovation work began, allowing the project to advance efficiently during the building's unoccupied period.
This level of planning extends beyond a single facility. Across campus projects, our team works closely with university leadership to understand academic schedules, student housing needs, and campus activities so construction can progress while the university continues serving its students.
Building for the Future
Educational facilities are constantly evolving to meet the needs of future generations. While the improvements being made today will benefit students for years to come, learning cannot simply pause while construction takes place.
By prioritizing communication, strategic phasing, safety, and collaboration, Brindley Construction helps schools and universities continue operating while important upgrades move forward. From elementary schools to university campuses, our team remains committed to delivering quality construction solutions that support education every step of the way.
Written by Dakota Ortega
Dakota serves as our Marketing Coordinator. She attended The University of Tennessee Southern where she graduated early, earning her BS in Business Administration - Management in December of 2022. She earned her MBA from The University of Tennessee Southern in May of 2024. Dakota is dedicated to leading and directing Brindley Construction’s marketing needs with creativity at its forefront. She is an active member of Rotary Club of Pulaski and Giles County Chamber Diplomats.