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Update on Holland Middle School Renovation and Addition Project
SCHRADERGROUP (SG) began work on the renovation and additions for Holland Middle School in 2014. Located in the Council Rock School District, the 135,200 SF facility, built in 1975, is undergoing extensive renovation and expansion that allows for a more STEAM-focused arrangement within the existing infrastructure. The project additionally provides a 6-classroom addition; a new administration suite and entry; a music wing housing band, orchestra and choral; a 650-seat auditorium; an auxiliary gymnasium; and a fitness center.
A significant challenge presented with the renovation of the middle school was to maintain operation while renovating the entire facility and building an 80,000 SF addition. Extensive phasing plans were created to assure continuous operation while allowing quadrants of the existing building to be renovated in 6 month time frames, for a total construction duration of 24 months.
The facility is slated for LEED Gold certification with construction completion planned for late August 2018. To learn more about this project, please visit our website.
SCHRADERGROUP Welcomes New Designer
SCHRADERGROUP Attends Ribbon Cutting of New Mission Critical Facility Completed in Outer Banks
SCHRADERGROUP (SG) was honored to attend the ribbon cutting for the new Dare-Tyrrell-Hyde Counties Regional Emergency Communications Center located in Manteo, Dare County, North Carolina. The new 18,200 SF facility consolidates the emergency communications operations of Dare, Tyrrell and Hyde Counties into one Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) and additionally creates an Emergency Operations Center for Dare County.
“It was a great pleasure to be at the ribbon cutting ceremony,” said Project Architect Dan D’Amico, AIA, LEED AP. “It was exciting to be a part of the design and construction of the first facility in North Carolina to consolidate emergency communications for three counties into one state-of-the-art facility. To see the end result and experience the pride and satisfaction of the new facility users was a great reward.”
The ribbon cutting was recently featured in The Virginia-Pilot. In the path of frequent mid-Atlantic hurricanes and tropical storms, the facility is designed to withstand 150 mph winds, and additionally is sited to be above the 100-year flood plain. For more information about the project, please visit our website.
Elementary School Named Outstanding Design in LEARNING BY DESIGN Spring 2017
SCHRADERGROUP (SG) is pleased to have Caley Elementary School named an Outstanding Design in the spring 2017 LEARNING BY DESIGN, the premier source for education design innovation and excellence. Caley Elementary School is one of two sister schools simultaneously designed by SG for the Upper Merion Area School District in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania. Constructed in the 1960s and no longer able to accommodate the District’s enrollment or educational program, two existing facilities will be replaced by the new sister schools, which will serve 525 K-4 students each.
As part of the project selection process, LEARNING BY DESIGN judged Caley Elementary School on six criteria: Innovation, Community Need, Interior Design, Sustainability, Functional Design, and 21st Century Learning. Jury comments about the project included:
“Project is simply expressed and frankly executed. Light and bright interiors with transparency for visual connections as well as interior day lighting. Classrooms have interior spaces differentiated to support small group and whole group instruction.”
To learn more about this project, please visit www.learningbydesign.biz or our website.
SCHRADERGROUP Mill Creek Elementary School Receives Award from A4LE, Association for Learning Environments
SCHRADERGROUP (SG) is honored to receive a Project of Distinction award for our design of Mill Creek Elementary School from the Association for Learning Environments (A4LE) Northeast Region. The Northeast Regional Planning and Design Awards are held annually and judge entries based on their merits regarding community, learning and physical environments as well as the planning process for the project.
Mill Creek Elementary School, part of the Bristol Township School District in Levittown, Pennsylvania, is one of three sister schools designed and constructed by SG. The District, based on recommendations of a District-wide study completed by SG, elected to replace nine outdated and aging elementary schools with three new facilities, which include Mill Creek. In addition to the award bestowed by A4LE, the Elementary School designs also have been recognized as Outstanding Designs in two American School & University publications: Architectural Portfolio and Educational Interiors Showcase.
To learn more about this project, please visit our website.
SCHRADERGROUP Partner Published in School Planning & Management
SCHRADERGROUP (SG) founding partner, David L. Schrader, AIA, LEED AP, was recently featured in School Planning & Management, the industry’s leading publication covering facilities, security, technology, and business concerns in K-12 school districts. The publication asked experts who are involved in various education-related fields to discuss happenings in K-12 education and what to expect in the near future. Topics included design and planning of learning spaces, legislation, sustainability and safety and security.
David’s feature, “The Global Challenge: Moving the Learning Environment Beyond the Four Walls,” discusses the global connectivity available to today’s learners, and ways in which designers can embrace technology and reevaluate what the learning environment is. No longer confined to a single location restricted by four walls, David suggests “we can seize a golden opportunity to expand the learning environment far beyond its four walls and deliver the whole world to our kids.”
Look for the feature in January’s printed issue of School Planning & Management or on their website.
In addition to serving as Managing Partner of SG, David also is Chairman of the Board of the Association for Learning Environments (A4LE), a group whose sole mission is improving the places where children learn.
SCHRADERGROUP Welcomes New Senior Project Manager/Educational Facility Planner
SCHRADERGROUP (SG) is pleased to welcome Danielle V. Hoffer, AIA, LEED Green Associate, to the firm as Senior Project Manager and Educational Facility Planner.
Danielle comes to the firm with professional experience gained over 30 years of completing a variety of project types. For over 20 years, Danielle’s work has focused primarily on the planning and design of public K-12 schools, with a goal of creating learning environments that positively affect student achievement. The depth of her experience in educational planning includes master planning, feasibility studies, analysis of demographic studies and enrollment projections, and the development of educational specifications. A strong leader and communicator, Danielle will be intimately involved with educational planning as well as overall project design and management in her new role at SG.
“I am so excited for this opportunity to join SCHRADERGROUP,” says Danielle. “My experience, skills and knowledge align perfectly with the firm, which already has a solid reputation in the K-12 public school market. I look forward to establishing new relationships, supporting our school district clients in making informed decisions that best serve their communities, and continuing to provide quality, functional and inspiring schools for students of all ages.”
Elementary School Project Featured as Outstanding Design in Architectural Portfolio
Brookwood Elementary School, featured previously this year in American School & University Educational Interiors Showcase and Learning by Design, additionally has been selected for publication in American School & University 2016 Architectural Portfolio. The project is featured in the November 2016 edition of the magazine and also online at www.SchoolDesigns.com. An annual competition honoring education design excellence, the Architectural Portfolio spotlights projects representing today’s most effective learning environments.
To determine citation winners and other outstanding designs, this year’s jury decided upon the following criteria: integration of technology, engaging landscapes, regional vernacularism, project-based learning, user-specific designs, sensitivity to context, accessibility, quality, diversity, inclusivity, living/learning communities, experiential learning, cohesive design concept, and environments that are evocative and inspirational.
SCHRADERGROUP Managing Partner Named as Chair of Board of Directors for A4LE
SCHRADERGROUP (SG) is pleased to announce that the Association for Learning Environments (A4LE) has named David L. Schrader, AIA, LEED AP, Chair of its Board of Directors. David, Managing Partner of SG, assumed the role at the recent LearningSCAPES Conference held in Philadelphia, PA.
An active member of A4LE since 2002, David has served as Northeast Region president and has chaired several regional and international committees, contributing to many new association programs. Actively involved with the development and growth of the SchoolsNEXT global competition since 2007, David is committed to inspiring the next generation to build a solid foundation for a better future.
David Schrader has served on the International Board of Directors since 2012. In his new role as chair, he plans to elevate the status of the emerging professional within the Association and plans to work with the Organization to improve the technical platforms upon which all members communicate.
“Members of this association have served as mentors to me in my development. I truly hope that we can continue that strong tradition of mentorship to those new to the organization and to the profession of learning environment planning and design as a whole. Thanks to the fantastic relationships that form between members, I consider many in this organization to be my greatest friends and colleagues!”
SCHRADERGROUP Attends Ribbon Cutting of New Pennsylvania State Emergency Operations Center
SCHRADERGROUP (SG) team members were proud to attend the ribbon cutting of the 145,000 SF State Emergency Operations Center (SEOC) recently completed by SG in a joint venture with AECOM. Presenters and ribbon cutters included Lt. Governor Michael Stack; Honorable Curt Topper of the Pennsylvania Department of General Services; Honorable Richard D. Flinn, Jr. Director of the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency (PEMA); Jeffrey Thomas, Executive Deputy Director, PEMA; and the Honorable Timothy Solobay, State Fire Commissioner.
