Tag: design
Happy New Year from All of Us at SCHRADERGROUP!
2024 marked SCHRADERGROUP’s (SG) twentieth anniversary, and with that, we look back on the year with gratitude for achieving major milestones. This past year, SG expanded our project portfolio, received awards for our achievements, stayed active in our community, and grew our team, which now exceeds fifty dedicated professionals. We are humbled by our progress and look forward to what lies ahead. We recognize that the support of our clients, colleagues, friends, and family, has contributed to our success in creating state-of-the-art, sustainable projects for future generations.
We at SG would like to express our appreciation to everyone involved with our team this past year. We are thrilled to recap our year below and we look forward to what 2025 holds!
SG’s current projects continue to progress from groundbreaking events to ribbon cutting ceremonies.
SG has been constructing buildings for twenty years. Current new construction projects include Keith Valley Middle School, Hares Hill Elementary School, and the Reading STEM Academy. Current addition and renovation projects are underway in many school districts including Council Rock, Coatesville Area, and North Hills School Districts. As for new construction in Higher Education, we are thrilled to see the Penn State Harrisburg Academic Learning Center begin its construction process in early 2025.
In the municipal market, the Public Works Facility in West Whiteland Township is rapidly approaching completion, with a targeted end date of January 2025. Public safety projects under construction include the Aldan Borough Admin/Police facility which is progressing smoothly and construction for Knightdale’s Police Department will begin in January 2025.
Great Valley School District officials hosted a dedication ceremony when the new 5/6 Center opened its doors this fall. The local community had the opportunity to tour the facility for the first time and to see the advancements in facility design offered by the new school. Additionally, Willistown Township hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the opening of its renovated Administration Building.
Chatham County Emergency Management and 911 Communications Center celebrated its first anniversary of operations. The new facility provides additional space, upgraded systems and technology, accessible features, and effective workstations necessary for the growing County.
The people we design for are the driving force behind our inspiration, and as a result, we stay involved in the communities with which we collaborate. Over this past year, our team attended conferences, dinners, career fairs, fundraisers, and other social events.
SG had the opportunity to attend several career fairs in 2024. Several of our Penn State alumni returned to their alma mater for the annual Stuckeman Career Day, which specifically caters to students in architecture, landscape architecture, and graphic design fields. Additionally, the SG team attended career fairs for Penn College of Technology, Thomas Jefferson University, and Kent State University to inform students about our projects, internship opportunities, and the industry at large.
In addition to promoting our mentorship program at career fairs, the SG team attended many conferences this year. We traveled to several regional PA conferences: PASA PSBA in the Poconos, ERAPPA in Valley Forge, SCUP in Philadelphia, and PASBO in Hershey. But it doesn’t stop there; we also attended IACP in Boston, A4LE’s LearningSCAPES in Portland, OR, NENA/APCO and NCACP in North Carolina, and SCUP Mid-Atlantic in Arlington.
Beyond conferences, our team attended various fundraising events, including Community Design Collaborative’s Leverage Event and additional DVASBO-sponsored golf outings that benefit students in local districts.
SG has not only experienced growth in projects and the community, but we have expanded internally in several ways too. April kicked off our firm’s twentieth anniversary which coincided with our Philadelphia office move. The move was bittersweet, as we said goodbye to the Manayunk office that had been the home base for two decades and relocated to Conshohocken. This change provided an inviting and spacious office to accommodate our growing team and projects. Later in the year, we hosted an Open House for our friends, colleagues, and clients to tour the new space and to catch up. Additionally, this year, we established a new office in State College, PA.
Our team expanded and we’ve now surpassed fifty employees. Our summer interns included Alissa Kinney, Isaac Buxton, and Shubh Savani, who all contributed immensely during one of our busiest seasons. Additionally, Colleen Deluca, part of our Interiors department, was promoted to Senior Interior Designer/Project Manager. We’ve hired the following people this year and are pleased with their contributions already:
- Allison Mason – Project Manager
- Allyson Everlof – Architectural Designer
- Carlyssa Pierre – Office Administrative Team
- Craig Schulz – Mission Critical Facility Expert
- Eleni Katsas – Architectural Designer
- Gianna DeLorenzo – Jr. Interior Designer
- John Evans – Project Manager
- Omar Abdulrahman – Architectural Designer
- Pat McFeely – Public Safety Market Segment Leader
We are proud of the team’s growth and look forward to furthering our expansion in the future.
The SG team is honored to have received numerous accolades and awards in 2024. Learning by Design magazine showcased the Community College of Philadelphia’s Career and Advanced Technology Center on the cover of its Fall 2024 issue and recognized the project with a Citation of Excellence. Additionally, the Career and Advanced Technology Center earned a Specialized Facility Citation in American School & University magazine’s 2024 Architectural Portfolio issue.
The American Council of Engineering Companies’ Pennsylvania sect awarded PennDOT District 6-0’s Regional Traffic Management Center a Diamond Award in the Building/Technology Systems category. The team consisted of Heim Construction, Jacobs, and Bala Consulting Engineers. AIA Pennsylvania’s Emerging Professionals Committee recognized SG as an EPiC firm as we continue our commitment to emerging professionals’ development.
As for rankings, Building Design + Construction ranked SG #51 in their Top K12 Firms list and #161 in the Higher Education Firms list. SG also placed in the Top 150 Local Government Buildings Sector, and Engineering News-Record’s Mid-Atlantic region ranked SG as a Top Design Firm, placed us at #83 on a list of Outstanding Firms, and recognized Hatboro Horsham School District’s Keith Valley Middle School as our largest project to break ground in 2023.
This summer, Learning by Design magazine launched a new ICON in Education Award, honoring leaders in design who go above and beyond to improve educational spaces. Managing Partner David Schrader was one of the first five recipients of this honor. We have long known of his skills, talents, and creativity in the K12 market and appreciate that he and his efforts are being recognized by others as well.
At SG, we are incredibly humbled by these accolades and use this recognition to stay motivated.
This past year was a time of tremendous growth, opportunity, and achievement. As we close out our twentieth year, we reflect on how far we’ve come with gratitude. We could not be more appreciative of our supportive clients, colleagues, friends, and families who remind us daily of why we do what we do.
We are excited about the opportunities and connections the new year will hold. We wish you and your families a terrific holiday and a fantastic 2025!
From all of us at:
Happy Thanksgiving from SCHRADERGROUP!
SCHRADERGROUP (SG) extends our warmest Thanksgiving wishes! We at SG are thankful for those who collaborate with us and provide inspiration daily. We are grateful for the opportunities to create facilities that make a difference in the lives of communities we deeply care about.
This year, SG has again seen tremendous growth and has achieved many goals. We’ve added new members to our team and have expanded our project portfolio. This time of year reminds us of how far we’ve come, and we are thankful for all the relationships we have fostered over the years. The SG team wishes you and yours a very happy Thanksgiving!
From all of us at:
Pat McFeely, Public Safety Market Segment Leader for SCHRADERGROUP, Featured in Facility Executive Magazine
The June 2024 issue of Facility Executive Magazine features an interview with Pat McFeely, SCHRADERGROUP’s Public Safety Market Segment Leader, and Steve Devon, RMF Engineering’s Sr. Project Manager. The article, Preparing for Disaster: Designing the Last Building Standing, unpacks the planning and design process behind resilient mission-critical facilities.
Mr. McFeely expounds upon the pivotal factors to consider when designing these structures: “Our job as designers is to ensure that the architecture responds to those risks while still being contextually relevant and welcoming to the community.” The designers behind these facilities must create a balance between building resilience and user ergonomics. This fine line is crucial to the efficiency of emergency responders and to the well-being of the community.
Pat also notes that “emergency services are stressful, demanding, and sometimes tragic, so everything we design is in support of the people performing that work.” Every facility SCHRADERGROUP designs positions the individuals who utilize these spaces 24/7 to be safe and comfortable. While no two emergency response facilities are the same, each one provides tailored results for the community’s needs.
To read the full interview, click here.
SCHRADERGROUP Attends Community Design Collaborative’s Leverage Event
On June 18th, Community Design Collaborative hosted its annual fundraiser Leverage at the Center for DesignPhiladelphia. Leverage highlights the crucial role of design in accelerating positive change; the tool that empowers, inspires, and makes a lasting difference throughout neighborhoods in Greater Philadelphia.
The Community Design Collaborative’s goal is to strengthen and empower local architecture, engineering, and construction firms to gain support to build projects and discover new design solutions while partnering with communities to envision the environments where they live, work, play, and thrive.
SCHRADERGROUP is proud to have been a sponsor of this event. Team members Dan Pawluczyk, Kate McKenna, Wiley Muck, and Samantha Yaros attended the evening’s activities which honored Prema Katari Gupta, CEO of Philadelphia’s Center City District and Executive Director of the Central Philadelphia Development Corporation, for winning the LEVERAGE 2024 Award.
The team spent the evening listening to inspiring guest speakers, exploring recent Community Design Collaborative projects, and networking with other talented design professionals. The interactive programming of this event brought together designers, community members, community development experts, policymakers, and the media to discover new design solutions and new relationships.
SCHRADERGROUP is inspired by organizations like Community Design Collaborative and is proud to partner with and provide support to such worthy causes.
One-Year Testimonial of Chatham County’s Emergency Management and 9-1-1 Communications Center
Just over a year after its doors officially opened, the new Chatham County Emergency Management and 9-1-1 Communications Center serves as a beacon for the community. The campus rests on forty acres of heavily wooded land in Pittsboro, North Carolina, and acts as the primary Public Safety Answering Point for the county. SCHRADERGROUP (SG) provided architectural and engineering services for the facility, and we are excited to see it benefit the community after its opening. The facility merges the Emergency Management and Communications Operations sectors to provide efficient solutions for those in need.
Steve Newton, Chatham County Emergency Management Director, comments on the facility’s benefits: “This past year we’ve not only enjoyed a beautiful new building with additional space and features, but also a mission critical facility with functionality, flexibility, and survivability designed into every space.”
The previous center was small and dim, without much room to spread out and work efficiently. The new hardened facility now has substantial amounts of natural light shining through the work areas, ample conference room space, a full kitchen with dining capabilities, ADA accessibility, collaboration spaces, and effective workstations equipped with up-to-date technology and the capacity to handle threat assessments and emergency operations swiftly. In emergencies, it is imperative to have reliable technology and enough space for comfort. Emergency responders need an environment conducive to high-stress situations. SG considered the nature of the work and the well-being of the responders when designing the facility, leading to its dynamic and practical layout.
Mike Reitz, Chatham County Emergency Communications Director adds, “Our staff in the 9-1-1 center provide a critical service to the community, one that is often stressful and emotionally draining. This new working environment is a breath of fresh air for them; the design of this facility had their mental health and well-being as a top priority. SCHRADERGROUP exceeded our expectations and delivered a welcoming space for our staff to use for many years to come.”
SG is pleased with the progress the Chatham County community has seen from the construction of the new center. We gain a sense of pride in knowing our buildings help provide a hub for emergency responders in times of crisis.
To view more of our Public Safety projects, click here.
SCHRADERGROUP Welcomes the Newest Member of Our Mission Critical Team, Craig Schulz
We welcome Craig Schulz to SCHRADERGROUP (SG) as the newest member of our Mission Critical Facility team. He has thirty years of experience in the Public Safety market with expertise in critical infrastructure design, disaster recovery planning, and continuity-of-operations management.
Craig’s background makes him an ideal liaison and interface between SG and both our Owner/Clients and the specialty consulting firms with whom we work. Moreover, his knowledge of, and experience with, the grant processes is a valuable resource to stakeholders as they seek project funding sources.
In his role here at SG, Craig will manage Mission Critical projects from inception through planning, oversee construction document production, and have an integral role in the construction administration process. More specifically to the construction process, Craig will be the coordinator for technology integration into these new facilities.
Craig is based in our Raleigh, NC office, and will support our Mission Critical Facility endeavors nationwide. He is a true asset to SG; we are thrilled to have him on our team and for the opportunity to offer his vast resume to our current and future clientele.
SCHRADERGROUP Ranks in Building Design + Construction’s Top 150 Local Government Building Sector
Recently, Building Design + Construction (BD+C) published their Top 150 Local Government Building Sector firms in their Giants 400 Building Report. The Top 150 Local Government Building Sector highlights the largest government building architecture and engineering (A/E) firms throughout the nation and SCHRADERGROUP (SG) came in at number 108 in 2023.
SG is honored to receive this notoriety alongside other top A/E firms. Each recognition motivates us to continue to help our clients achieve excellent results.
Learn more about SG’s projects by clicking here.
Project Highlight: Anne Frank School
In August of 2022, Anne Frank School construction came to an end after major renovations and additions. The school was previously comprised of two buildings constructed in different eras: a 74,500 SF original school building constructed in 1962, and a smaller building: one of the School District of Philadelphia’s acclaimed Little School House structures. With the latest addition, SCHRADERGROUP successfully linked the buildings and formed a united academic facility, which now provides space for additional learning opportunities, centralized administration, and food service.
The addition features nine classrooms, a Learning Stair directly accessing the new media center, administrative and nursing suites, and an expansion of the Little School House cafeteria. Relocating the administrative suite allows the Anne Frank School to provide a centralized secure point of entry, thus improving the overall safety of students and faculty.
Anne Frank School is home to students from over forty nations, who speak over forty languages. The administration considers the school a model of diversity both in its population and available programs. With diversity as inspiration, SCHRADERGROUP designed the facility with multi-cultural and colorful graphics to celebrate the students’ heritage and backgrounds.
The original 1962 building is three stories and houses classrooms, the gymnasium, auditorium, and original cafeteria. This section of the school underwent a renovation consisting of new interior finishes, window systems, and general building systems.
SCHRADERGROUP optimized the layout of the existing school buildings through designs that benefit students and inspire creativity. The bridge linking the existing main building to the new addition is airy and colorful, with flexible seating to accommodate modern learning practices. The windows throughout the addition were designed with young learners in mind and provide a fun, colorful, and naturally lit area through which students can gain a new perspective.
The renovations and upgrades offer students up-to-date technology and amenities, encouraging growth through creative, student-centered spaces. The addition unites the school and allows it to function as a whole, rather than as separate parts. SCHRADERGROUP is honored to have worked on this project along with the School District of Philadelphia and wishes the students, administration, and families of Anne Frank School a bright future.
Photos: Halkin-Mason Photography
Phoenixville Area School District Hosts Groundbreaking Ceremony for its new Elementary School in East Pikeland Township
On Friday, December 8th, Phoenixville Area School District hosted its commemorative groundbreaking ceremony to kick off the construction phase of their new elementary school located on Hares Hill Road in East Pikeland Township, PA. The 98,500 SF facility will house 700 students from grades 2 through 6, alleviating overcrowding at the middle school by moving 6th grade students to the new building. This will be the first elementary school in East Pikeland since the previous school’s closing, and the Township residents are thrilled to welcome a new school to their community.
The school’s layout takes advantage of the existing terrain, creating a balanced, multilevel facility. Upon entering the school, the interior boasts an impressive Learning Stair, where students can socialize and participate in a collaborative learning environment. The Learning Stair leads to a specialized STEAM area on the second floor where the Art room, STEM room, and Media Center are located. One of the building’s key design features is an enclosed courtyard, providing a secure indoor-outdoor space for students to learn and play. The entire configuration of the facility promotes collaboration and a forward-looking educational experience.
SG understands the future of education involves new teaching methods emphasizing the importance of sustainability. With this in mind, solar panels will be installed on all south-facing and flat roofs, and a panel will be located in the courtyard for students to observe the benefits of this energy source. Additionally, through a rainwater collection system, students discover the benefits of collecting and reusing water for their courtyard gardens.
The community showed tremendous support at the groundbreaking ceremony, including students, parents, faculty, and staff, who echoed the excitement shown throughout the planning and design process. This new elementary school will be a landmark for Phoenixville Area School District, and SG is proud to have collaborated with the District on this achievement. The school is projected to open in the Fall of 2025.
To see more of our K-12 projects, click here.
Governor Mifflin School District Celebrates New Athletic Community Center Opening
On Saturday, December 2, Governor Mifflin School District hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony to unveil their new Governor Mifflin Athletic Community Center (GMACC). Designed by SCHRADERGROUP (SG), the 68,000 SF GMACC features state-of-the-art athletic spaces, middle and high school classrooms, and an abundance of amenities. Located in the heart of the existing secondary school campus, the GMACC is more than a sports arena; it is part of a comprehensive plan to address space needs at the middle and high school by converting former physical education spaces to next-generation learning environments.
This community facility will not only serve the Governor Mifflin students and staff, but will be available for community use. At the core of the facility is the main competition gymnasium complete with multi-level bleachers seating up to 2,000 people. The publicly accessible fitness room at the main floor level features gym equipment for people of all ages and skill levels. To support physical education and athletics, locker rooms with specialized equipment-drying amenities and team rooms have direct access to the adjacent sports fields. On the upper level, a track borders the perimeter of the main gymnasium, and this floor also includes the wrestling room, multipurpose room, and a classroom for health education. The new center boasts a state-of-the-art sports medicine training room with taping tables and ice baths for injury treatment. There is also a fully stocked concession stand for sporting events.
The GMACC was conceived by the community, for the community. SG facilitated a community workshop process that put vision into motion for not only the GMACC, but for the future of Governor Mifflin School District. This facility serves as a commitment to community engagement, health, and wellness. More than just a sports facility, it is an anchor for the community and a place where the School District’s services seamlessly integrate with public life. The residents and students now have a new facility to connect, participate in sports and group activities, and achieve personal fitness goals. We at SG are very pleased to have been part of this process and to see this vision materialize for the district.
To see more SG athletic projects, click here.