Category: News
SCHRADERGROUP Welcomes New Designer!
SCHRADERGROUP (SG) is pleased to welcome Kelly Ryan to our team as Project Designer. Kelly, a recent graduate of Pennsylvania State University, comes to SG with multiple years of internship experience working primarily with institutional project types. Her experience to date includes completion of design and construction documentation, BIM model development, LEED documentation, feasibility studies, 3D digital modeling, and presentation renderings. In her new role at SG, Kelly will be involved in a number of different projects types including additions, renovations and new facility design for the academic and public safety markets.
Empowering School Districts through Intelligent Planning
At SCHRADERGROUP (SG), we know targeted planning initiatives can lead to the successful resolution of issues that so often beleaguer school districts. Our twenty-five years of innovative planning experience allow us to lead districts through a comprehensive master planning process that includes assessing current conditions, identifying problem areas, and determining feasible options that deliver flexible, cost-efficient and enduring solutions.
For example, we recently helped a Pennsylvania school district to complete a district-wide assessment that led to the planning and design of three new, state-of-the art elementary schools to replace nine ailing elementary buildings. What is remarkable about this achievement is that the new schools will be completely financed within current district spending and will result in a net-zero cost difference to the district tax payer. As a result of intelligent planning, the district is able to achieve a proper distribution of the current student population, accommodate projected enrollment increases, reduce operating costs, and provide three new 21st century learning environments.
A prototype design for a state-of-the-art elementary school. Three new buildings of this caliber will replace nine ailing facilities as a result of smart planning.
Planning efforts are a relatively small investment to make, particularly when considering the potentially powerful impact of the outcome. To remain vital, districts must make decisions that best serve students, faculty, and staff, as well as their communities. Smart planning empowers districts to move forward with purpose and direction, making the very most of the resources available and achieving the most optimal results for the district as a whole.
SCHRADERGROUP Welcomes New Designer!
SCHRADERGROUP (SG) is pleased to welcome Eric Weiss to our team as Project Designer. Eric is a recent graduate of Pennsylvania State University and comes to SG with multiple years of internship experience working primarily with institutional and residential project types. His experience with graphic presentation programs combined with his excellent skills as a photographer serve as valuable assets for helping to visually communicate ideas and concepts to clients. Eric additionally contributes a strong working knowledge of BIM and uses his skills in Revit to improve design solution appropriateness, workflow, and efficiency in projects.
In his new role at SG, Eric will be involved in a number of different projects types – a few of which include additions, renovations and new facility design for the academic and public safety markets.
SCHRADERGROUP Welcomes New Principal and Adds Structural Engineering to Services Offered
SCHRADERGROUP (SG) is pleased to welcome Thomas E. Forsberg, PE, to the firm as Principal, Structural Engineering. Tom holds a Bachelor of Architectural Engineering from Pennsylvania State University and is a registered Professional Engineer in several states.
During more than 20 years of professional practice, Tom has developed extensive expertise in the design and evaluation of masonry buildings and systems, forensic investigations, diagnostics, and problem resolution. His structural design experience includes the design and evaluation of concrete, masonry, steel and wood structures. Additionally, his expertise includes building surveys, code analyses, structural load ratings, reinforcement and restoration design, and investigative reports.
Tom has written and published technical articles and delivered lectures on the subjects of structural assessment, forensic investigation, masonry restoration, and structural masonry design.
With the addition of Tom to our firm, we are proud to expand our services to include structural engineering and look forward to new and broadened opportunities. Tom will be heading up SG’s new regional office located in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
SCHRADERGROUP Develops Performing Arts Charter School Concept in Philadelphia
View of the main entrance during a performance.
The SCHRADERGROUP (SG) team recently had the good fortune to be one of the finalists for the design of a Performing Arts Charter School in Southwest Philadelphia. The location of the proposed site is in a newly expanding area located between the sports complexes and South Philadelphia.
The proposal requested a high profile presence to assist the school in promoting its performing and visual arts curricula. The theater is the center of all functions in the facility, with all arts instruction spaces and STEAM education spaces emanating from the performing arts core. The facility accommodates fourteen hundred students in grades six through twelve through an inviting performance-centered atmosphere.
SG responded with a compact three story scheme fitting on to the site in the footprint provided. SG’s strong project-based and flexible learning environments dominated the academic portions of the facility. In addition, the SG concept highlights the performing arts capabilities of the facility by creating a front entry for the theater at the entry to the site. The building’s location on the site creates a strong visual presence for the school by connecting it to the neighborhood by both day and by night.
The Owner strongly complimented SG on the concept and imagery in the proposal, however SG was not selected as the finalist for the project. SG will add the concepts developed for this proposal to its portfolio of educational facility designs and utilize this work as reference and inspiration for future educational facility planning and design.
A view to the Philadelphia Skyline beyond the new Performing Arts High School
SCHRADERGROUP named in Top 50 for Sustainability in ARCHITECT magazine
SCHRADERGROUP (SG) proudly announces that the firm was named to the Top 50 in Sustainability by ARCHITECT magazine. The Top 50 in Sustainability lists the best architecture firms according to the sustainability portion of the ARCHITECT 50 rankings, the results of which are determined by a survey conducted by ARCHITECT magazine and which additionally covers the categories of business and design excellence/pro bono. The sustainability category measures the percentage of a firms’ projects that are LEED certified or designed to LEED standards; that are certified in other design programs, such as Energy Star and Living Building Challenge; that pursued a potable water-use reduction target beyond what is mandated by code; and that incorporated energy modeling, with firms earning extra credit for collecting energy data and investigating discrepancies with the model. Other data points included the percentage of employees with LEED AP and GA credentials; a firm’s commitment to sustainability in its own office, such as having a timeline for purchasing 100 percent green power; and participation in the AIA’s 2030 program, including the percentage of overall gross square footage designed to 2030 standards.
To read more about the ARCHITECT 50 Top 50 in Sustainability, please visit ARCHITECT magazine.
SCHRADERGROUP Receives Additional Accolades for Elementary School Design
Earlier this year, SCHRADERGROUP (SG) had the pleasure of announcing that the Mount Nittany Elementary School, designed by SG for the State College Area School District, received an Honorable Mention from Learning by Design, the premier source for education and design innovation and excellence. The project also was named a Project of Distinction in Education Design Showcase 2012, School Planning & Management’s vehicle for sharing innovative, yet practical, solutions in planning, design and construction with the goal of sharing ideas that will help us achieve the best possible learning environments for all students at all levels of education.
We are pleased to add that Mount Nittany Elementary School now has been selected to appear as an Outstanding Design in the 2012 American School & University Architectural Portfolio, a competition celebrating architects and educational institutions for their achievements in outstanding school design.
SCHRADERGROUP Firm Principal is a Guest on Education Talk Radio
SCHRADERGROUP (SG) firm principal, David Schrader, was a guest on Education Talk Radio, a talk radio show for educators and administrators that features educational products and services as well as industry and professional guests. David was joined by colleague Barbara Worth, Director of Strategic and Private Development for the Council of Educational Facility Planners International (CEFPI). Together, they discussed ‘Building a Green School,’ stemming from CEFPI’s School of the Future Design Competition. This annual design competition is open to middle school students and challenges student teams to design a school aimed at enhancing learning, conserving resources, being environmentally responsive and engaging the surrounding community. To listen to the broadcast, please visit blogtalkradio.com.
Mount Nittany Elementary School Recognized as Project of Distinction
SCHRADERGROUP (SG) is pleased to have our design of the Mount Nittany Elementary School named a Project of Distinction in the 2012 Education Design Showcase. Education Design Showcase is a comprehensive database of cutting-edge projects, innovative solutions and inspiring designs for education developed by School Planning & Management and College Planning & Management magazines. It serves as a forum for sharing ideas that will help us achieve the best possible learning environments for all students at all levels of education.
For more information about Mount Nittany Elementary School, please visit Education Design Showcase .
SCHRADERGROUP’s Mount Nittany Elementary School Named Project of the Year
SCHRADERGROUP (SG) is pleased to announce that Alexander Building Construction Company, the construction management firm that served as construction manager for SG’s Mount Nittany Elementary School, received the Project of the Year Award in K-12 Construction Over $20 Million from the Construction Management Association of America Mid-Atlantic Chapter. Mount Nittany Elementary School is a new 60,500 SF K-5 facility designed by SG for the State College Area School District.
