Mick Rich Contractors Inc., an Albuquerque-based commercial building contractor, has completed construction of an addition for the Anansi Charter School in Taos.

The addition is a 1,836 sq. ft. third-grade classroom. The 27’ x 68’ unit was constructed at Mick Rich Contractors’ Albuquerque facility and later transported to the Taos school. Mick Rich deems this type of building as “off-site conventional construction.”

Professional structural movers loaded the addition onto two giant steel beams for transportation. Once loaded and with escorts in tow, the caravan headed for Taos. 

The building, at a little less than 18’ tall when loaded, does not fit under most overpasses, so the movers must take every exit then reenter the freeway on the other side of the bridge.

A one-piece building, as opposed to a two-piece, offers better quality, more design flexibility and shorter construction time.

Off-site conventional construction projects such as this are the best method of providing economical classrooms without the stigma of “portables,” which is why Anansi proceeded to order a second building to be delivered in 2010.