EnCon United Delivers Precast/Prestressed Concrete Solutions at the Oldest School in Colorado Springs
There’s something fitting about a topping off ceremony at a school with more than 150 years of history behind it — a moment where the past and future briefly meet above the jobsite.
On Wednesday, May 13, project partners, school officials, current students and Alumni, and members of the Colorado Springs community gathered at Palmer High School to celebrate the placement of one of the final precast pieces for the school’s new east wing addition.
For EnCon United and manufacturing partner Stresscon Corporation, the milestone marked the culmination of months of coordination, engineering, fabrication, and erection on one of the region’s most complex education projects.
As the oldest school in Colorado Springs, Palmer High School carries a deep sense of history. When District 11 began planning renovations and reconstruction of the east wing, the vision extended beyond replacing space, aiming to improve campus connectivity, enhance security, and support future programming needs — all while respecting the architectural legacy of the original 1939 building.
Leveraging a Design-Build approach, the project team turned to precast and prestressed concrete to help solve the challenges of the tight urban site, accelerated schedule, and architecturally ambitious design.
The new east wing incorporates 698 precast components, including double tees, beams, columns, shear walls, flat slabs, insulated wall panels, and architectural panels with exposed aggregate and acid-etch finishes. Several curved elements required custom-built formwork and specialized detailing to replicate the character of the historic structure.
One of the project’s defining features — the two-story curved and cantilevered entrance inspired by the original building — showcases the flexibility and performance capabilities of precast concrete systems.
Throughout construction, minimizing site congestion remained critical. Using a total precast system reduced the need for additional superstructure trades, while allowing the structure to be erected in just 58 days using a single crane positioned in the courtyard.
During the ceremony, school leadership reflected on Palmer High School’s legacy and the future new facility. Students and community members also signed wall panel AIW7708 to commemorate the milestone.
EnCon United served as the precast concrete specialty engineer on the project alongside Stresscon Corporation, with design and construction led by RTA Architects, Perkins Eastman, Adolfson & Peterson Construction, and HCDA Engineering, Inc.