Category: Academic
Elementary School Project Receives Additional Accolades in Learning by Design Fall 2016
SCHRADERGROUP (SG) happily received an Outstanding Project award for excellence in educational facility design in the fall 2016 issue of Learning by Design for Brookwood Elementary School, a new facility recognized for its overall plan, architectural design and for having attributes worthy of imitation.
The new school is designed to support two specific grade-grouping structures, K-2 and 3-5, in a “school within a school” configuration. The design places functions shared by both programs, including the Media Center, dining, gymnasium, administration, and art and music instruction, at the center of the building with other academic spaces flanking the shared core. Learning studios, small group instruction areas and large group instruction areas provide spaces for individual, small-, medium- and large-group learning. Spaces traditionally used as vertical transition areas function as additional dynamic, large group instruction spaces in the form of “learning stairs”.
The distinguished jury of architects and end-users for Learning by Design commended SG for our success in designing Brookwood Elementary School after judging the project based on six criteria: Innovation, Community Need, Interior Design, Sustainability, Functional Design and 21stCentury Learning. “Very efficient plan that successfully breaks down the school into two,” and “Good use of learning stairs,” were among jury comments.
To learn more about the project, please visit www.learningbydesign.biz or our website.
Elementary School Project Named Outstanding Design in Educational Interiors Showcase
SCHRADERGROUP is pleased to announce that the new Brookwood Elementary School was selected to appear as an Outstanding Design in the 2016 American School & University Educational Interiors Showcase. It is featured in the August 2016 edition of the magazine and also on the web at www.schooldesigns.com. An annual competition honoring educational interior design excellence, the Educational Interiors Showcase spotlights projects representing some of the most effective learning environments in America.
Brookwood Elementary School was evaluated on criteria that included contribution to learning experience; ease of use; alignment with program and community; timeless aesthetics; provision of a variety of spaces to support all learners; consideration of human and environmental health; and deep, authentic, ongoing community engagement.
For more information about this project, please visit our website.
3750 Reasons Why We Do What We Do
When we get caught up in the mechanics of the day-to-day, we often lose sight of exactly what it is that got us to where we are, and why we are doing what we are doing. If we’re lucky, we get reminders that help us to remember.
As architects for the K-12 market, we can get pretty engulfed by the myriad details that go into designing and building a new school. And multiply the details by three if you are simultaneously designing and constructing three sister schools in one district! So it was with great pleasure that we viewed a video created by Bristol Township School District (BTSD) music teacher, Mr. Joe Marlow, documenting the transition of students coming from nine outdated elementary schools into three brand new 140,400 SF facilities recently completed by SCHRADERGROUP (SG).
Watching the reactions of the students as they become acquainted with their new ‘homes’ was a powerful reminder of the reason why we come to work every day. Or, in the case of BTSD, with three projects each serving 1250 students, the 3750 little reasons.
Thanks to the Bristol Township School District and community for such a rewarding experience. We wish you all the best in your new facilities!
If you have difficulty viewing the video above, please watch the video here.
SCHRADERGROUP Included in Engineering News-Record Mid-Atlantic Top Design Firms 2016
Engineering News-Record Mid-Atlantic Magazine includes SCHRADERGROUP architecture in its list of Top Design Firms 2016. The ENR Mid-Atlantic Top Design Firms list ranks the largest design firms, both publicly and privately held, based on design-specific annual revenue. SG ranked at #72 this year, placed in the category of General Building. We are pleased to have risen in the rankings from our place last year at #76. Our ranking features our largest project to break ground in 2015, the Phoenixvville Early Learning Center and Elementary School.
SCHRADERGROUP Featured in BD+C 40th Annual Giants 300 Report
We’re excited to announce that Building Design + Construction Magazine’s 40th Annual Giants 300 Report featured SCHRADERGROUP architecture among their top 100 architecture firms. The annual report ranks top AEC firms in commercial construction, by revenue. Ranked #97 overall, SG jumped to #12 amongst the Top Data Center AEC firms. This ranking is a reflection of the quantity of public mission critical facility designed by the firm. We are honored to be recognized, and will continue to keep pace with the leaders in our industry.
SCHRADERGROUP Attends Groundbreaking for Additions and Renovations to Middle School
SCHRADERGROUP (SG) was pleased to be in attendance at the groundbreaking ceremony for additions and renovations to the Holland Middle School in Council Rock School District, Newtown, Pennsylvania. Anticipated to be complete in 2019, the project involves renovations to approximately 140,000 SF as well as an addition of 44,000 SF. The renovations and additions are a result of an effort by the District to consolidate three middle school populations into two facilities. Program additions to Holland Middle School include an auditorium with balcony seating, new spaces for music, an auxiliary gymnasium, fitness room, additional classrooms, and a new administration area. The interior of the building will be completely renovated to reflect twenty-first century learning styles while the exterior of the building will updated with a new, contemporary skin. New windows will introduce daylighting throughout the facility.
SCHRADERGROUP Celebrates 12 Years
This spring marks 12 years since SCHRADERGROUP (SG) opened our doors in a revitalized industrial building in Manayunk, Pennsylvania. In that time, we expanded our original space, then moved into a larger space, and recently expanded and renovated the larger space. We’ve grown to 21 employees and opened branch offices in Lancaster, Baltimore and Wilmington. We continue to increase our presence nationally through our public safety/mission critical work, and have completed K-12 and higher education projects throughout Pennsylvania, Maryland, New Jersey and Delaware. We’ve faced some challenging economic times, internal ‘growing pains’ that come with expansion, and the day-to-day trials inherent to running a service-oriented business. But we’ve also won awards for our work, watched staff grow professionally and personally, and learned quite a bit about how to run a better business. At the end of the day or, in this case, at our twelfth year, we pause to reflect on what makes us keep at it. And we think about the joyous students moving into a brand new or much-improved, renovated school. Or the law enforcement and mission critical employees who move into a safe, ergonomic, state-of-the-art facility and know that they will be able to provide the best service possible to their communities. In these moments, we are thankful and honored to be a part of making good things happen with great clients who place their trust in our team. And in these moments, we look forward to the years ahead and to the exciting projects and fantastic clients to come. Congratulations, SG, thanks to all of the clients we’ve served, and thanks also to the trusted partners who serve alongside us!
Elementary School Project Named Outstanding Design in Architectural Portfolio
SCHRADERGROUP (SG) is pleased to announce that our Ralph Waldo Emerson Elementary School new facility design for Bristol Township School District, Levittown, Pennsylvania, has been named an Outstanding Design in the 2015 American School & University Architectural Portfolio.
Architectural Portfolio, the premier showcase celebrating the best in education design, features over 100 projects in the November issue of American School & University magazine.
The new Ralph Waldo Emerson Elementary School is a product of a prototype design developed by the design team to allow for simultaneous construction of three new elementary schools replacing nine existing outdated and aging neighborhood elementary schools. SG concurrently designed two sister schools, James Buchanan and Mary Devine Elementary Schools, at the same time as the Emerson project. While Emerson and Buchanan will be completed before the end of this year, the Mary Devine project construction process follows slightly behind the others and will not be put into use until the new year.
Main entry
History Wall
Learning Stairs
To learn more about the Bristol Township Elementary School projects, check out the November edition of American School & University or visit our website.
SCHRADERGROUP Attends Groundbreaking for New Elementary School
SCHRADERGROUP (SG) was pleased to be in attendance at the groundbreaking ceremony for the new Early Learning Center and Elementary School to be constructed in the Phoenixville Area School District (PASD). Presently under construction and anticipated to be complete by August of 2017, the new 152,500 SF facility will support two specific grade structures in a “school within a school” format: K-1 in an Early Learning Center, and 2-5 as an Elementary School.
Groundbreaking ceremony for the Phoenixville Area School District new Early Learning Center and Elementary School
Speaking at the groundbreaking ceremony, firm principal David Schrader commented “Our design journey is over but now the construction journey begins. We look forward to the day, not too long from now, when we can walk into the completed facility and see the beaming smiles of the students of Phoenixville Area School District.”
The design for the school, already gaining a “Work in Progress Citation” from American School & University Architectural Portfolio 2014 as well as an “Honorable Mention” from Learning by Design in their Fall 2015 issue, creates a focus on literacy and learning in a non-standard learning environment. To learn more about this exciting project, please visit our website.
Early Learning Center and Elementary School Project Receives Honorable Mention from Learning by Design
SCHRADERGROUP (SG) is pleased to announce that our Early Learning Center and Elementary School new facility design for Phoenixville Area School District, Phoenixville, Pennsylvania, is the recipient of an Honorable Mention by Learning by Design magazine.
The Honorable Mention was awarded to the project by an American Institute of Architects Committee on Architecture for Education nationally appointed jury of architects and educational facility specialists.
The new 152,000 SF Early Learning Center and Elementary School, anticipated to be complete in April of 2017, is designed to support two specific grade structures in a “school within a school” format: K-1 in an Early Learning Center, and 2-5 as an Elementary School. A primary goal for the facility is to create a focus on literacy and learning in a non-standard learning environment. In response, the design places the media and technology center at the core of the facility with all other functions radiating from it.
Early Learning Center and Elementary School Media Center
To learn more about our Early Learning Center and Elementary School project, check out the Fall edition of Learning by Design or visit our website.