Category: Academic
SCHRADERGROUP is Ranked Nationally in Building Design + Construction Magazine’s 2017 Giant 300 Report Issue!
SCHRADERGROUP (SG) is excited to be ranked #46 in Building Design + Construction Magazine’s Top 90 K-12 Architecture Firms and is also ranked #22 in the Top 25 Data Center Architecture Firms (Nationally) in their 2017 Giants 300 Report issue. Building Design + Construction Magazine is an award winning magazine that provides the daily news, trends and more for Architects, Engineers, and Contractors.
Building Design + Construction’s Top 90 K-12 Architecture Firm article can be found here.
The Top 25 Data Center Architecture Firm ranking can be found here.
The whole magazine issue can be found here.
SCHRADERGROUP Earns an Outstanding Project Award for the Learning by Design 2017 Fall Awards of Excellence Issue
SCHRADERGROUP (SG) is excited to announce that the Upper Merion Area School District School, Gulph Elementary School, was chosen for an Outstanding Project Award in the Fall Awards of Excellence issue of Learning by Design.
SG developed designs for two new elementary schools in the Upper Merion Area School District. The new schools will replace the existing Caley Elementary School and Gulph Elementary School facilities, which were originally constructed in the 1960’s and no longer accommodate the District’s enrollment or educational program.
The proposed school programs encompass 83,279 SF and 95,538 SF respectively, and, in the interest of parity between the two buildings and their respective student populations, each will include a prototypical wing that houses the kindergarten learning node, dining area, gym, stage, music department, support spaces, and administration offices. Due to the complex site boundary and grade conditions present at the Gulph Road location, site specific design responses were developed for the classroom wings.
Classrooms wings are structured as groupings of grade appropriate classrooms with learning support, faculty spaces and team work areas. Each set of grade clusters is then oriented around the two-story open Learning Resource and STEAM Center. The classroom clusters connect to the Learning Resource Center through a grand Learning Stair which doubles as a mini auditorium space for the building.
Following an extensive Master Planning process lead by SG, the design team developed a series of programming and design workshops that included members from the school community, the community at large and current students.
The issue of Learning by Design (linked here) is available October 1, 2017 and check out the article on Gulph Elementary School (linked here) that received the Outstanding Project Award.
Phoenixville Area School District Celebrates New Early Learning Center and Manavon Elementary School Opening with a Cookout
On August 28th, Phoenixville Area School District welcomed parents, students, and the entire community to tour the New Early Learning Center and Manavon Elementary School. It was a sight to see, the parking lots were full and there was an attendance of over 2,500 people. The sidewalks, tables, and playgrounds made it obvious that it was a successful turn out.
Guests indulged themselves in self-guided tours of the new facility, played on the play areas, joined in soccer clinics on the fields, enjoyed grilled burgers and hot dogs (compliments of the School District), and were entertained by the upper grade musical entertainment outside.
Mill Creek ES Selected as Outstanding Design
Mill Creek Elementary School, Levittown, Pennsylvania has been selected to appear as an Outstanding Design in the 2017 American School & University Educational Interiors Showcase, the premier competition honoring education interiors excellence.
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.
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.
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!”