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Educational facilities bulwark of firm's practice

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Sam Winn, principal of Sam A. Winn & Associates Architects PC, has been an architect for more than 27 years.|ret||ret||tab|

In that time, he has expanded the company's focus from educational institutions to include medical and financial facilities, as well. |ret||ret||tab|

He also has expanded the client base from just southwest Missouri to all over the state, including the Bootheel and north of Kansas City.|ret||ret||tab|

Sam A. Winn & Associates, 1949 E. Sunshine in Springfield, employs a total of 14 people in its Springfield and Clayton offices, including five registered architects and three intern architects.|ret||ret||tab|

Winn began his career as an intern in 1965, working for Joe W. Amspacher. |ret||ret||tab|

It was while he was working for Amspacher, whose focus was on educational facilities, that his interest in educational architecture began.|ret||ret||tab|

Then in 1977, Winn and an associate purchased the company. Winn eventually purchased the associate's interest in the firm, becoming the sole owner.|ret||ret||tab|

Winn's projects include Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World, Ferrell Duncan Clinic and a high school for 2,700 students in House Springs.|ret||ret||tab|

"We were the architects for Bass Pro when they moved to South Campbell," Winn said. |ret||ret||tab|

"We designed Hemingway's restaurant, the aquariums and fountains, and the south end of the building where the showroom is located, and the principal location of corporate offices and distribution," he added.|ret||ret||tab|

Winn said the firm's work on the Ferrell-Duncan Clinic should be finished this year.|ret||ret||tab|

"We've been working on this project for the last couple of years," he said. "We've been adding on an east wing to the building. Prior to that, we added a fourth and fifth floor to the clinic's west and north wings."|ret||ret||tab|

The high school in House Springs, a 284,000-square-foot building plus athletic fields on a 60-acre campus, was dedicated in 1998. |ret||ret||tab|

The total cost of the project is $18 million.|ret||ret||tab|

The company also is involved with the interior design of facilities, supplemented with consultants to fit individual clients program requirements.|ret||ret||tab|

"We have an intern who works well with designing the interior of educational facilities," he said. "We use consultants on the other projects."|ret||ret||tab|

Winn said that during the last several years, allowing for proper security has become very important in a school's design.|ret||ret||tab|

"We have to keep in mind that cameras and monitoring equipment will be used to keep an eye out on the traffic that comes in and out of the buildings," he said. |ret||ret||tab|

"There are security codes that have to be obeyed when designing and making plans for installing this kind of equipment."|ret||ret||tab|

One of the new projects Winn is involved with is this construction of a new high school in Waynesville. |ret||ret||tab|

The campus is located along Interstate 44, and the school will be a 200,000-square-foot complex for 1,500 students. There will be five gymnasiums and an academic center that includes a library, media center, cafeteria and kitchen.|ret||ret||tab|

The total cost of the Waynesville project is $14 million.|ret||ret||tab|

Winn and Associates has held three public forums with those who will be attending and working at the new school, Winn said.|ret||ret||tab|

"We've discussed the design, cost of the facilities and how the facility will respond to all the age groups," Winn said.|ret||ret||tab|

He added that, as he's designed the new campus where Waynesville High School will be located, he's had to keep several different factors in mind.|ret||ret||tab|

"The land is on a hill," he said. "The land goes up 60 feet from where it begins at the edge of Interstate 44 to where the school is located. |ret||ret||tab|

We also have to keep in mind that because the school is located near the military base at Fort Leonard Wood, and the base is growing, the student population may grow at a faster rate than other schools," he added.|ret||ret||tab|

Winn said that each educational project he works on is unique.|ret||ret||tab|

"That's because they're designed with the end user in mind," he said. "This includes the teacher, the custodian and the board of education. Each client is different in their needs and financial resources. Buildings are not an exact science; they're a creative effort that the client and architect bring to the table."|ret||ret||tab|

Winn said a lot of his firm's work is with existing clients.|ret||ret||tab|

"There are 50 school districts we're working with regularly," he said. "We have a lot of clients that continue to utilize our services for evaluating their existing services and facilities, additions, new facilities on new campuses and other things, like roof renovations and mechanical systems, which include heating and air conditioning." |ret||ret||tab|

He gets his new clients by word of mouth and through membership in such organizations as the Missouri School Boards Association.|ret||ret||tab|

Winn said he believes growth in the field of architecture has been steady since he got involved in the business more than 30 years ago.|ret||ret||tab|

"Construction always has peaks and valleys due to the economy, and architecture is closely related to that," he said. |ret||ret||tab|

"We've had steady growth except for real recessionary times where we tightened our belts, but we've always been able to move forward. There was a slowdown between 1981 and 1982, and the late 1980s when, due to the economy, we had difficulty getting school bond issues passed," Winn added.|ret||ret||tab|

He said he sees continued steady growth in educational facility design.|ret||ret||tab|

"I see growth, especially in the areas of renovating existing facilities," he said. "This is due to the need for updating technology in the schools and installing various things that were previously lacking."|ret||ret||tab|

Winn said he really enjoys his work and finds it gratifying to talk with the students, faculty, school board and members of the communities after a building project is completed.|ret||ret||tab|

"We get their input relative to items they think are important and work with them on how best to respond to that," he said. "The gratification is when the clients are happy with our facilities and continue to contract our services." |ret||ret||tab|

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