St. Mary's School Sillers Center STEAM Building

The St. Mary’s Sillers Center project involved the complete transformation of a central portion of the St. Mary’s School campus, delivering a 28,400-square-foot, two-story concrete tilt-up facility with a full interior build-out, alongside a 40,000-square-foot landscaped outdoor park. Oltmans Construction Co. provided 15 months of preconstruction services and 12 months of construction, self-performing the structural concrete work to ensure quality, schedule reliability, and cost efficiency.

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The project scope also encompassed grading, utility upgrades, hardscape and landscape improvements, a solar rooftop, EV Charging and the reconfiguration of pedestrian and vehicle circulation to maintain safe and efficient campus operations. Construction was carefully coordinated around school activities, with noise control, dust mitigation, and safety measures implemented throughout the project.

Construction in an Active Campus

• Oltmans built the new Sillers Center in the heart of a fully operational K–8 campus
• Construction work was carefully coordinated around student drop-off and pick-up times
• High-impact construction was shifted to nights, weekends, and during school breaks
• Close coordination with neighboring church operations and shared facilities to ensure that construction logistics reduced impact to the school and neighborhoods

Preconstruction & Value Optimization

• Early collaboration with St. Mary's School and RGA's teams to align vision, cost, and schedule
• Value engineering exercises allowed the team to select materials that enhanced durability, efficiency, and long-term performance
• Oltmans Concrete self-performed structural concrete to maintain quality and schedule control
• Strategic site logistics planning was strictlky manager to minimize campus disruption

Safety & Environmental Stewardship

• Strict separation of construction and student areas
• Full-time OSHA-certified supervision and site-specific safety planning
• Digital background verification for field personnel
• Dust control, erosion management, and air-quality protection measures

Community Engagement

• Viewing windows and educational signage are integrated into construction fencing
• Site tours and updates kept students, families, and staff informed
• Project became a real-time learning experience for the school community

The Sillers Center

The first floor houses the Thompson Family Early Education Center, a 10,000-square-foot learning environment for students ages two through kindergarten. Classrooms include natural light, flexible furnishings, makerspaces, and direct access to the Liu Family Playground, which features a central play structure, bike track, sensory and imaginative play zones, outdoor art areas, and shaded gathering spaces designed to foster physical, social, and cognitive development.

The second floor houses the Design Center, a hub for STEAM-focused education that encourages hands-on learning, collaboration, and innovation. Community-focused features include the Welcome Café, Vlok Family Lobby, and the grand staircase, which serves as a campus focal point and a symbolic centerpiece reflecting the school’s values.

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