Tag: designer
SCHRADERGROUP Thanks Ed Kirkbride for Helping Shape SG Careers
SCHRADERGROUP (SG) would like to extend the sincerest “Thank You” to Edward E. Kirkbride, NCARB, REFP for the considerable impact he has had on multiple SG employees in their career.
Ed is an educational architectural consultant who had similar involvement in the Association for Learning Environments (A4LE), formerly the Council of Educational Facility Planners International (CEFPI). His work with the organization has brought cutting-edge educational facility concepts and programs to fellow professionals across the globe and he has been involved in the design and construction of a significant quantity of school facilities in his career.
“A very good friend and fellow architect, Ed Kirkbride, mentored both David and me in our careers as architects. I first interned with Ed when I was 18 years old while finishing my senior year in High School. Ed’s firm designed the addition to my High School – East Senior High School in West Chester. My mother very creatively set up a meeting for me to meet Ed since I had expressed an interest in architecture. I ended up working for him the summer following my senior year. I also worked for him a couple of other times while going to college and during my career. David and I started working together around 1992 for Ed while he managed the L. Robert Kimball Office in West Chester. We are both very grateful to have such a great friend and mentor in our lives!” said SG Project Manager Mark Hitchcock.
“My greatest business mentors have been friends who run other types of businesses. I enjoy seeing diverse business models and learning about their challenges and experiences. A mentor in the K-12 planning business, Ed Kirkbride, introduced me to the Association for Learning Environments and promoted me within that organization. I hope I left the organization just a little better off than when I joined it. Thank you, Ed Kirkbride,” said SG Managing Partner David Schrader.
Click here to learn more about SCHRADERGROUP’s work with K-12 school districts.
Click here to learn more about the Association for Learning Environments (A4LE).
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SCHRADERGROUP Attends North Penn School District’s Ribbon Cutting Ceremony for Knapp Elementary School
SCHRADERGROUP (SG) attended the ribbon cutting ceremony celebrating the completion of an additions and renovations project to Knapp Elementary School for North Penn School District (NPSD) in Lansdale, PA on October 18th. Managing Partner David Schrader and Associates Danie Hoffer and Devin Bradbury represented SG at the event.
The ribbon cutting ceremony commemorated the transformation of this 1950’s facility into a next generation school. The 13,200 SF of additions and 64,800 SF of renovations to Knapp Elementary help facilitate interactive learning, provide enhanced learning environments with natural light, and generate a new sense of pride for the school and the community from the moment you enter its doors.
Community members were invited to see the new and improved school and to hear from district and community leaders. After a few words by the NPSD administration and David Schrader, the ribbon cutting ceremony was held. Following the ceremony, community members and attendees were invited to tour the new and improved facility and hear from staff and students about what they love about their new school.
The building renovations address ADA compliance issues and complete interior improvements throughout the school. The infrastructure and systems design incorporates energy-efficient construction, all-new lighting, HVAC, electrical systems, plumbing, technology, and fire alarm systems. The building design now serves 700 students.
The existing school was configured with classroom wings on either side of central enclosed spaces that housed the administration offices, kitchen, and cafeteria. As part of the renovation, a third classroom wing was added for grades 5-6 to accommodate the population and to eliminate the modular classrooms on-site. The central core was reconfigured to pull the dining commons directly across from the main entrance lobby and the roof structure was raised to introduce natural light into the space through clerestory windows. The library/resource center was relocated to the former cafeteria which now opens into a large group instruction area that is an extension of the dining commons. Internally connected to the two existing classroom wings and the third newly added classroom wing, these core spaces offer a variety of instructional areas in addition to small group instruction rooms provided in the classroom wings for pull-out instruction. The administration was relocated to the former library area directly adjacent to the main entrance which could now be secured.
To clearly identify the main public entrance to the school, the entry features a tall, glass-enclosed volume further marked by the prominent entrance canopy leading to it. This serves as the parent drop-off area with a new entry to the side of the addition serving as a separate bus loop. Sufficient parking is provided in the existing parking lot for staff and visitors with the bus loop used for parking for off-hour events. Outdoor facilities include new paving and sidewalks, hardscape and softscape play areas, one playfield, and open space.
SG would like to express our gratitude to the entire NPSD team for their contributions to improving their district’s schools. We would also like to thank our consulting team for all of the wonderful collaborative work done on this project.
To learn more about SCHRADERGROUP’s commitment to design for education, please click here.
To learn more about the North Penn School District, click here.
SCHRADERGROUP Welcomes a Former Intern to the Architectural Production Team!
SCHRADERGROUP (SG) is happy to announce the newest member to join our team! Please help us welcome Architectural Designer Daniel Pawluczyk, Associate AIA!
Daniel Pawluczyk, Associate AIA
Architectural Designer
Pennsylvania State University – Bachelor of Architecture
Dan is a recent Pennsylvania State University graduate with a bachelor’s degree in architecture. After spending multiple summers interning for a construction company, he was propelled into the world of design and construction and became familiar with job sites through this work. While pursuing his architecture degree, he continued his journey by completing an architectural internship at SG in the summer of 2021. During that time, he assisted Principals and Project Managers with existing conditions reports and feasibility studies, created design options for a new Field House for a local school district, and prepped design development documents for the construction of a new high school.
Dan is skilled in both creating concept options and in using building information modeling software. He is committed to seeing an idea through until it is a reality. Dan finds it most effective to express ideas and find solutions through hand-drawn sketches and follows through with digital modeling to work through the technical details. He thinks that having a curious and open mind is key to success in this industry and he looks forward to applying everything he will learn from his fellow architects and designers to his work.
Dan is passionate about finding fun activities for himself and his friends during his time off. He served as chapter relations chair in his business fraternity, organizing events such as barbecue cookouts, volleyball tournaments, and ski trips for his fraternity brothers. Dan also studied abroad in Rome in the Fall of 2021. Dan is excited to now live in Manayunk and is ready to explore many of the fun art exhibitions, shops, and breweries in Philadelphia.
Looking to the future, Dan is excited to contribute fresh ideas to the team and to learn as much as he can while preparing for the Architect Registration Examination (ARE). He looks forward to learning about the project management role in architecture and how the construction phase allows him to entertain creative yet technical solutions when working through the early phases of a project.
“Having the ability to shape your own career path by following your creative interests is one of the most valuable aspects of architecture and design. I feel joining the SG team will lead me through many creative avenues of design that I never would have imagined.” – Dan
Welcome Dan! We are thrilled to have you join the SG team and are excited to see what the future holds for you! Our team looks forward to sharing our company culture and practice with our new team member and is excited to follow his journey of future success.
Interested in working with us? Visit our Careers page to see what opportunities are available at SG here.
THANK YOU to the SCHRADERGROUP 2022 Summer Architectural Interns!
It has been quite a busy summer at SCHRADERGROUP (SG), and we cannot believe how fast time has flown by! We would like to thank our three architectural interns for their hard work and enthusiasm this summer. It is always great to welcome fresh faces to the firm, especially those still in school and looking to learn a bit more about our world! Thank you to Wiley Muck, Miranda Ocampo, and Allyson Everlof for all of your help this summer! We wish you the best in your future studies and professions!
Before they head back to school, the SG family would like highlight each of our great interns:
Wiley Muck
Graduate Student
Temple University – Bachelor of Architecture, currently pursuing Master of Architecture Degree
Wiley will be a 5th year architecture student at Temple University pursuing his Master of Architecture degree. He is the Vice President of the Club Golf team, which he started at Temple along with another architecture student. Wiley enjoys hiking, being outdoors, and can always be found listening to music during his daily activities.
Wiley’s interest in architecture began when he was young. He enjoyed playing with Legos and sketching, and as he got older, he realized that architecture was a perfect fit for him. Wiley has worked on many projects during his short time at SG, with his favorite being continuous work on a master plan for a local school district.
In the future, Wiley looks forward to one day walking or driving past a building that he designed. This is a feeling that he is looking forward to and will be a significant milestone in his future career.
Miranda Ocampo
Undergraduate Student
Pennsylvania State University – Bachelor of Architecture
Miranda will be a 4th year architecture student at Pennsylvania State University. She is the Arts Chairman of the Zeta Tau Alpha Sorority and is also an Ambassador and Mentor for the College of Arts and Architecture. In her free time, Miranda enjoys traveling, painting, and spending time with friends.
Her favorite moment at SG was learning and working alongside so many amazing individuals. She is very appreciative of the mentorship opportunities offered here and came away from her internship with more knowledge of what life after architecture school is really like. Miranda’s favorite project she worked on was a renovation/conversion project for Bucks County Intermediate Unit’s Everitt Elementary School. This project entailed transforming an unused kitchen into a family consumer science classroom so that children with special needs can learn how to do laundry, make certain meals, and wash dishes.
Looking to the future, Miranda hopes to continuously make positive impacts on peoples’ lives through architecture. Her experiences this summer have shown her the many ways that educational architecture can have major impacts on the community.
Allyson Everlof
Undergraduate Student
Pennsylvania State University – Bachelor of Architecture
Ally will be a 4th year architecture student at Pennsylvania State University. She is a Student Representative for the College of Arts and Architecture and is also a member of Delta Gamma Sorority. Ally enjoys taking nature walks, exploring new cities and environments, reading, or simply doing anything artistic or creative. In her free time, she sketches, paints, and makes her own jewelry.
Ally first got interested in architecture when she was young. She always admired beautiful homes and large buildings, and she is very excited to be a part of creating these spaces! Ally has thoroughly enjoyed her time at SG this summer. Her favorite project was a concept development for an auditorium for a nearby school district. She enjoyed getting the opportunity to add some of her own design elements into the concept. Ally’s favorite moment this summer was SG’s Second Annual Golf Outing at Walnut Lane Golf Club.
Looking to the future, Ally is excited for her semester abroad. She will be in studying architecture in Rome for a few months before traveling across Europe’s beautiful landscapes and cities. She hopes to learn even more about the unique styles and techniques of the continent’s architecture.
SCHRADERGROUP’s Managing Partner David Schrader had the following to say about our great summer interns:
“Wiley, Miranda, and Allyson have been stellar additions to the team this summer. We are sorry to see them go! The team at SCHRADERGROUP believes that we are at our best when we can share our experiences with the next generation. Our internship program is central to what we do and allows us to flourish through the enthusiasm added by our interns. We hope that they are also growing through the real-world office and construction site experiences they are able to participate in. We wish the summer 2022 class of interns well and as always; we look forward to seeing them again in the future. They are always welcome back to the offices of SCHRADERGROUP!”
As architects, we realize that the heart of our practice is its people, and we are always looking for ways to promote and foster emerging talent. At SG, we recognize the importance of an internship in the field of architecture and design, and we offer hands-on experience as well as a mentorship component in order to create an environment that leads to understanding and success for all. The SG team looks forward to sharing our company culture and practice with our architectural interns and is excited to follow their journey this summer as they gain the experience necessary for future success.
Thank you so much to Wiley, Miranda, and Ally for your dedication, work ethic, and fresh perspectives offered during your time at SG this summer. We wish you the best in the remainder of your studies and hope to hear of your future successes soon!
Interested in working with us? Visit our Careers page to see what opportunities are available at SG here.
SCHRADERGROUP Welcomes Newest Member to the Architectural Production Team!
SCHRADERGROUP (SG) is happy to announce the newest member to join our team! Please help us welcome Architectural Designer Trevor Mitchell!
Trevor Mitchell
Architectural Designer
Philadelphia University – Bachelor of Architecture, Minor in Sustainability
Trevor is a Philadelphia University graduate with over six years of experience in architectural design, most recently serving as Office BIM Manager and Architectural Designer at his previous architectural firm. During that time, he managed Building Information Modeling for the office, providing support and resolutions to program issues as well as operational training for his coworkers.
In addition to being an experienced designer, Trevor is a skilled organizer who is capable of creating templates and systems to enhance efficacy, whether for a project or for the firm as a whole. He has experience in all phases of a project’s life cycle, from initial surveying and test fits through to construction administration. His experience with educational and public safety facility design will be of tremendous benefit to SCHRADERGROUP.
Trevor is passionate about green design and sees our work with schools as a teaching opportunity to educate students about sustainability through building design. In his free time, Trevor enjoys working on home improvement projects and outdoor activities such as hiking, fishing, hunting, and kickball.
Looking to the future, Trevor’s first goal is becoming a licensed architect. He hopes that his work here at SG will have an impact on the communities that we design for. Trevor is very knowledgeable about our education and public safety industries and looks forward to the new changes and techniques seen in the design of these types of facilities as of late.
Welcome Trevor! We are proud to have you join SG and are excited to see what’s in store for your future here! Our team looks forward to sharing our company culture and practice with our new team member and is excited to follow his journey of future success.
Interested in working with us? Visit our Careers page to see what opportunities are available at SG here.
SCHRADERGROUP Attends PASBO Facilities, Transportation, & Safety Conference & Exhibits
SCHRADERGROUP (SG) recently attended the Pennsylvania Association of School Business Officials (PASBO) Facilities, Transportation, & Safety Conference & Exhibits in Lancaster, PA on November 4, 2021. This was the first time this conference was held in Lancaster.
The conference was held at the Lancaster Marriot & Convention Center, which is only a couple blocks away from our Lancaster office on King Street. SG exhibited at the conference in the convention hall and was honored to be a Bronze Sponsor for the event. SG team members Danielle Hoffer, Charlotte Stoudt, and Denis Brennan attended the trade show to connect once again with familiar faces and to meet many more.
This year’s conference dialed the focus down to three key areas important to school business officials: facility management, student transportation, and school safety. School facility management affects teaching and learning, student and staff health, day-to-day building operations, and the long-range fiscal health of the district. Attendees included facilities directors and personnel, school safety personnel, business managers, and superintendents.
The SG team would like to thank the dedicated staff of PASBO for organizing this great event and to all attendees who stopped by our booth to chat and ask questions. We look forward to the annual conference that will be held from March 8-11, 2022 in Hershey, PA. Come find us at Booth 410 to chat about your projects and ideas for your school district’s needs.
PASBO is a Pennsylvania-based, state-wide association with over 3,000 members. They are devoted to providing members with the education, training, professional development and timely access to legislation and policy news needed to run a school district smoothly and successfully. While their membership base varies greatly, the association has a common goal of supporting classroom learning through smart business practices. To learn more about PASBO and the work that they do, click here.
To learn more about SCHRADERGROUP’s work with K-12 schools, click here.
SCHRADERGROUP Attends the A4LE LearningSCAPES 2021 Conference in Denver, Colorado
Members of the SCHRADERGROUP (SG) team recently traveled to Denver, Colorado to attend the annual Association for Leaning Environments (A4LE) LearningSCAPES Conference from October 14th to the 17th at the Colorado Convention Center.
For decades, the LearningSCAPES conference has allowed educators, policymakers, planners, and design professionals from across the globe to experience the cutting edge of new educational design. The conference offers world-class educational sessions and inspiring keynote speakers who dive into best practices for creating effective learning environments for future generations.
Themes explored during the conference included the recent disruptive forces surrounding the global pandemic, social injustice, and economic stresses that have made the need for holistic and radical change more visible.
This year’s conference explored the idea of “Disruptive Optimism” and delved into the disruptive forces at play around the world, the positive opportunities they represent, and the actions we must take to create an optimistic and more effective future. The conference allowed members from around the world to converse about educational visions, connect through experiences and discoveries, and exchange expertise about next generation learning environments and their evolving needs.
The first day of the conference included six tours of various Pre-K to Higher Education schools and facilities in the areas surrounding Denver. Each facility offered attendees the chance to experience the latest and greatest in educational facility design. We would like to thank Boulder Valley School District, the University of Colorado Boulder, the University of Denver, Cherry Creek School District, Douglas County School District, and Littleton Public Schools for welcoming us into their wonderful schools and facilities!
Information sessions included presentations such as “Social/Emotional Learning through Curriculum and School Design,” “Designing Schools for Parental Engagement,” and “Engineering the Future Leaders of Our Community,” just to name a few.
Established in 1921, A4LE is a non-profit association whose sole mission is improving the places where children learn. They believe that facilities impact the learning, development, and behavior of the user, the planning process is essential for quality facilities, sharing and networking improves the planning process, and that there is a standard by which to measure this success.
SCHRADERGROUP exhibited the new Upper Merion Area High School project in the exhibition hall during the conference. The team is proud to have had this opportunity to showcase this project amongst the other incredible work on display.
SCHRADERGROUP was also proud to be a Pewter Sponsor for the conference and is always happy to support a great organization like A4LE. We are, and have been, proud sponsors of A4LE’s great annual expositions. To learn more about A4LE, click here. To learn more about the LearningSCAPES Conference, click here.
To learn more about SCHRADERGROUP’s commitment to creating 21st Century learning environments, click here.
SCHRADERGROUP’S Commitment to Mentoring the Next Generation
At SCHRADERGROUP (SG), we are dedicated to learning. This is evidenced by the numerous educational facilities and associated projects we have completed over our 17-year history. In addition to the work we do designing educational facilities throughout the Mid-Atlantic, SG employees go above and beyond to help the next generation of professionals excel in every way possible. One such method is mentoring.
The SG team is involved in a variety of mentoring programs at the University and K-12 level, including the Pennsylvania State University Stuckeman School of Architecture Alumni Mentoring Program, the ACE Mentor Program of America, and other collegiate and private mentoring opportunities.
Managing Partner David Schrader is a board member of the Penn State Architecture Alumni Group (AAG). President of the group from July 2018 until July 2020, David is now the official Stuckeman School AAG representative to the Arts and Architecture Alumni Society. He has dedicated much of his time to ensuring the success of PSU students by guiding them through the hurdles of the industry and helping forge new relationships with key connections after graduation.
Following in David’s footsteps, multiple SG team members have joined the mentoring program at the Stuckeman School as well. Project Architects Eric Weiss and Paige Geldrich have been involved for three years while Project Architect Jeremy Ross and Architectural Designers Selby Niumataiwalu and Tyler Corbley are currently participating in their first year of the program.
Project Architect Chris Farmer is also active in guiding students to a brighter future. Chris is an active participant in Jefferson University’s Career Services Department, meeting one-on-one with Jefferson students interested in Architecture.
Recently, the office opened its doors to several area high school students interested in the profession by providing them with a day in the office and then a tour of the New Upper Merion Area High School construction site. Recent graduate and rising architect Jillian Kreglow supported the in-office experience and Associate Dan D’Amico provided the on-site construction tour along with Chris Gehm of W. H. Lane. We hope that this experience inspires those students to start on the path of architecture as a possible future career!
In addition to the programs SG employees participate in, mentoring is also a key aspect of our daily life here at SG. Each year, we welcome summer interns to the company in order to promote and nurture emerging talent. At SG, we recognize the importance of an internship in this industry and have found that offering a mentorship component can lead to our interns gaining the skills and experience necessary to succeed in the future.
Learn more about the PSU Architecture Alumni Group here.
Interesting in working at SG? Visit our Careers page here.
Springfield School District’s New Springfield High School is Complete!
The SCHRADERGROUP (SG) team, in association with our design partner Perkins&Will of Chicago, is happy to announce that Springfield School District’s new Springfield High School is now complete!
Photo courtesy of Todd Mason from Halkin | Mason Photography.
Constructed on the southeast corner of the existing high school’s campus, the goal of the new facility is to provide the school district with a complex that will serve the community for the next 50 years. Perkins&Will and SG provided programming, planning and design services for the new high school complex that encompasses 230,000 SF on a 25-acre campus. The school will immediately serve over 1,450 students.
Photo courtesy of Todd Mason from Halkin | Mason Photography.
Consistent with the SG mission of creating next generation learning environments, the new high school employs an Academy Model that provides offerings in Art, Business, STE(A)M (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math), Humanities and Liberal Arts. The new facility includes an interior courtyard for outdoor learning as well as for gathering and common space. Unique to the facility is its inclusion of the District Administration within the structure of the facility.
Photo courtesy of Todd Mason from Halkin | Mason Photography.
Beyond the high school and District Administration, the project includes the design and construction of new site amenities, including the athletic fields, parking, and a stadium complex. Next up, SG will be engaged in the demolition of the existing high school, which will then lead to the construction of additional playing fields.
Photo courtesy of Todd Mason from Halkin | Mason Photography.
The SG team is pleased to partner with Springfield School District on this wonderful project. To learn more about Springfield School District, click here.
Photo courtesy of Todd Mason from Halkin | Mason Photography.
This project was completed in association with design architects Perkins&Will of Chicago, IL and the owner project representative CID Group of Berwick, PA. To learn more about Perkins&Will, click here.
Photo courtesy of Todd Mason from Halkin | Mason Photography.
To learn more about the New Springfield High School project, and view more photos, please click here.
Photo courtesy of Todd Mason from Halkin | Mason Photography.
Thank you to Halkin | Mason Photography for the beautiful images captured of this great project. To learn more about Halkin | Mason Photography, please click here.
Photo courtesy of Todd Mason from Halkin | Mason Photography.
SCHRADERGROUP Welcomes 2021 Summer Architectural Interns!
This year, SCHRADERGROUP (SG) is pleased to welcome two summer architectural interns, Leah Balderson and Dan Pawluczyk. We are very excited to have these enthusiastic young professionals join the SG family!
Leah Balderson
Undergraduate Student
Pennsylvania State University – Bachelor of Architecture
Leah will be a 5th year student at Pennsylvania State University and is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in architecture. She is an active member of AIAS (American Institute of Architecture Students) and is an architecture mentor for incoming first year architecture students. Leah is also on the Rules and Regulations Committee for THON.
Leah is very passionate about art and design. She has always had a love of drawing and painting, and in recent years has become very interested in graphic design. In her free time, she loves to snowboard and is a member of the PSU Snowboarding Club.
Looking to the future, Leah’s first goal is to become a licensed architect. She strives to design buildings that positively affect people’s daily lives. Leah’s thesis is focused on environmental psychology, the study of transactions between people and their physical settings, and she hopes to continue studying that over the course of her career.
“I hope for people to walk into a space that I designed and feel as though they are benefiting from the atmosphere I created.”
Dan Pawluczyk
Undergraduate Student
Pennsylvania State University – Bachelor of Architecture
Dan will be a 5th year architecture student at Pennsylvania State University. He is an active participant in THON, spending his first two years volunteering on hospitality committees. This past year, he danced virtually at THON with his fraternity, the top fundraising general organization for the fifth year in a row.
Dan’s favorite activities are those that he can do with family and friends. He enjoys golfing, snowboarding, basketball and hiking. Dan is looking forward to hitting the golf course with his SG coworkers this summer!
After spending multiple summers working at a construction company, Dan was propelled into the world of design production. His favorite part of architecture is the challenge of marrying the freedom of design with the practical realities of how something is built.
Looking to the future, Dan sees an open world of possibilities. He takes inspiration from documentaries and magazines dealing with design and architecture. His goal is to one day work on projects featured in Dezeen and ArchDaily.
“I think having the ability to shape your own career path and follow your interests is one of the most valuable aspects of architecture and design.”
As architects, we realize that the heart of our practice is its people, and we are always looking for ways to promote and foster emerging talent. At SG, we recognize the importance of an internship in the field of architecture and design and we offer hands-on experience as well as a mentorship component in order to create an environment that leads to understanding and success for all. The SG team looks forward to sharing our company culture and practice with our architectural interns and is excited to follow their journey this summer as they gain the experience necessary for future success.
Interested in working with us? Visit our Careers page to see what opportunities are available at SG here.