Tag: educational design
SCHRADERGROUP Principal Named President of A4LE’s Chesapeake Bay/Delaware Valley Chapter
SCHRADERGROUP is pleased to announce that the Association for Learning Environments (A4LE) has named SG Principal Harry Pettoni as President of the Chesapeake Bay/Delaware Valley Chapter. As president, Harry will lead the chapter that encompasses a portion of the Middle Atlantic surrounding the Chesapeake Bay and Delaware Valley, including the areas of Washington D.C., Maryland, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware. His duties will include presiding over all board meetings, directing activities of the chapter, appointing committees to conduct chapter business, and attending regional and international conferences. Harry will be serving for a three-year term. Congratulation Harry!
The Chesapeake Bay/Delaware Valley Chapter is a non-profit organization made up of individuals whose professional activities involve a responsibility of planning, designing, constructing, equipping, administering, and/or maintaining the physical environment of education. The chapter seeks to further the goals of education by providing services, activities, and knowledge related to the development of superior educational facilities. The purpose of this chapter is to assist A4LE and the region implement their programs, to serve as a vehicle for the local activities of A4LE, and to provide a forum for members of the chapter to meet and discuss matters of common interest and concern.
As an active member of A4LE since 1999 and a member of the Chesapeake Bay/Delaware Valley Chapter since its inception in 2013, Harry has been a long standing and active member of the organization. He served as the Northeast Region’s Secretary/Treasurer for four years prior to the formation of the Chesapeake Bay/Delaware Valley Chapter and has been involved in several committees and conference planning events throughout the region.
Harry’s goals as Chapter President includes collaborating with K-12 administrators, educators, and industry partners to provide educational planning opportunities and awareness that best serves the needs of students and the community within the chapter and region. He hopes to provide leadership, support, and resources for the implementation of anti-bias and anti-racist policies, practices, and behaviors in the planning of our educational institutions.
To learn more about the Chesapeake Bay/Delaware Valley Chapter of A4LE, click here.
To learn more about SG and the work that we do supporting academic facilities in the Northeast Region, click here.
School District of Springfield Township’s Enfield K-2 Early Learning Center Recognized as Outstanding Project in American School & University’s Fall Architectural Portfolio
SCHRADERGROUP (SG) is proud to announce that our recent project, the School District of Springfield Township’s Enfield K-2 Early Learning Center, has received an Outstanding Project Award from American School & University for their Fall 2021 Architectural Portfolio.
This is the second recognition Enfield has received from American School & University this year, after the cafeteria was previously awarded an Outstanding Project Award for the Educational Interiors Showcase. SG is excited to have another project featured in this prestigious magazine. We have thoroughly enjoyed working with the School District of Springfield Township (SDST) and are honored to have this wonderful facility featured in this issue.
American School and University (AS&U) is a magazine dedicated to the planning, design, construction, retrofit, operations, maintenance, and management of education facilities. It is intended to showcase the latest trends, technologies and strategies that are driving educational facilities and the market.
AS&U honors educational design projects each year through multiple design competitions. One of these competitions is the Architectural Portfolio, the premier showcase celebrating the best in education design. SG is honored to have this school featured in this showcase once again.
Faced with an aging K-1 primary center and a 2-5 elementary center at capacity, the School District of Springfield Township addressed both issues with the design of a new 750 student K-2 Early Learning Center.
The design establishes a hierarchy of the public and private zones. The main entrance adjacent to the administration area anchors the interior street connection to give public access to the gymnasium/stage and cafeteria for after school community events. The street connection leads to the central core of the building, featuring the learning resource/STE(A)M programs and learning stair. The school’s educational areas can be secured to allow the public areas to be used after school hours.
Each grade level wing radiates from the central STEAM core and is designed to create smaller learning communities. Each grade grouping is by floor level with supporting small and large group instruction areas to support a variety of learning environments. The central large group instruction area for that grade level supports collaborative activities. Every two classrooms share a small group instruction room facilitating individualized instruction.
You can view our entry in the Fall 2021 Architectural Portfolio issue of American School & University here.
Learn more about the Enfield K-2 Early Learning Center here.
SG is proud to have partnered with Springfield Township School District. Learn more about this amazing school district 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 Sponsors and Attends the 21st Annual MCIUEF Golf Classic
SCHRADERGROUP (SG) recently attended the Montgomery County Intermediate Unit Education Foundation (MCIUEF)’s twenty-first annual Golf Classic hosted at the Brookside Country Club in Pottstown, PA on July 26th. The event raised funds to enhance and support educational opportunities for students of Montgomery County, PA.
SG was proud to be a Hole Patron Sponsor for this event. The team was happy to attend the event with some well-known faces of the Intermediate Unit. In addition to a great day of golf, the event included breakfast, lunch, skills contests, and prizes, with a reception following a beautiful day out on the course.
This year, the MCIUEF celebrates its 21st year of providing camp and post-secondary scholarships for students with special needs, enriching classroom programs with technology support, and enabling student programs beyond school district budget capabilities. This includes more than $500,000 in grants and scholarships awarded over the last 20 years.
Events like these are important to the success of a community and its students, as it allows the MCIUEF to support programs that continue to attract nearly 7,000 students each year. SG would like to thank the dedicated members of the foundation for organizing this fun event.
Learn more about SCHRADERGROUP’s work with Montgomery County Intermediate Unit and other School Districts in the region here.
Learn more about the Montgomery County Intermediate Unit Education Foundation here.
School District of Springfield Township, Enfield K-2 Early Learning Center Recognized for Outstanding Design by American School & University’s 2021 Educational Interiors Showcase
SCHRADERGROUP (SG) is proud to announce that our recently completed project, the School District of Springfield Township’s Enfield K-2 Early Learning Center, has been recognized by yet another publication for its unique design aspects.
This time, the Enfield K-2 Early Learning Center was recognized by American School & University (AS&U) Magazine’s Educational Interiors Showcase as an “Outstanding Design” in the Cafeteria / Food-Service Areas category.
American School and University (AS&U) is a magazine dedicated to the planning, design, construction, retrofit, operations, maintenance and management of education facilities. It is intended to showcase the latest trends, technologies and strategies that are driving educational facilities and the market.
AS&U honors educational design projects each year through multiple design competitions. One of these competitions is the Education Interiors Showcase, the premier competition honoring education interiors excellence. SG is honored to have the dining space of this unique facility recognized by this year’s showcase.
The Enfield K-2 Early Learning Center’s dining facility has two internal entrances from the main lobby and the learning stairs corridor (which leads to the classroom wings,) as well as an outside entrance directly adjacent to the bus drop off. The cafeteria has a partition separating it from the gymnasium that opens to allow for a larger space for performances, assemblies and after-school community events. This also allows the space to become accessible for public use with entry from the exterior after school hours.
Intentionally located directly adjacent to the outdoor recess area, students rotate from lunch in the dining space to outdoor play. Whether coming in for lunch from their classroom or after recess, handwashing stations allow for multiple students to wash their hands at a time. This has become critically useful during the pandemic to promote healthy hygiene.
The kitchen is also uniquely designed for this age group as an amenity to the dining commons. The serving line is on the same floor level as the cafeteria for the proper height for young students to navigate their trays. On the kitchen side of the serving line, the floor level is dropped in elevation so the adult staff can serve the students at a level of comfort relative to their height. Another attribute to the space is the ability to accommodate social distancing in this large flexible space.
SG is excited to have yet another feature recognized for this exciting project. We have thoroughly enjoyed working with the School District of Springfield Township (SDST) and are honored to have this wonderful facility featured in this issue.
You can view the Education Interiors Showcase issue here.
Learn more about the Enfield K-2 Early Learning Center here.
SG is proud to have partnered with Springfield Township School District. Learn more about this amazing school district here.
SCHRADERGROUP Attends Delaware Valley Association of School Business Officials’ Annual Golf Outing!
SCHRADERGROUP (SG) recently attended the DVASBO Golf Outing at the Gilbertsville Golf Course on Friday, June 18th in Gilbertsville, PA. The Delaware Valley Association of School Business Officials (DVASBO) has held this outing for 31 consecutive years to help raise money for scholarships for Delaware Valley students.
DVASBO is the regional chapter of the Pennsylvania Association of School Business Officials (PASBO). For nearly five decades, DVASBO has been supporting school professionals in Bucks, Chester, Delaware, and Montgomery counties. The organization currently has over 1,000 members and they are devoted to providing members with education, training, professional development and timely access to legislative and policy news.
SG Principal Tom Forsberg attended the event with the next generation of SCHRADERGROUP golfers, Project Managers and Associates Devin Bradbury and Dan D’Amico and Project Architect Jeremy Ross. It was a beautiful day for golf and the course was filled with great friends and colleagues!
SCHRADERGROUP was proud to be a tee sponsor for this long running event whose mission is to help develop and support school business operation leaders. The SG team would like to extend our sincere thanks to the dedicated members of DVASBO for organizing this event held for a great cause. We look forward to future events involving these great organizations!
To learn more about SCHRADERGRPOUP’s commitment to educational facilities, click here.
To learn more about the Delaware Valley Association of School Business Officials, click here.
SCHRADERGROUP Hosts Design Workshop for Hatboro-Horsham School District to Determine the Future Configuration of the Keith Valley Middle School
2021 has been off to a busy start for Hatboro-Horsham School District (HHSD)! After hosting multiple conceptualization sessions in January and February and taking tours of example facilities throughout the Mid-Atlantic in March, the SCHRADERGROUP (SG) team conducted a planning workshop with HHSD staff, parents, and Hatboro and Horsham municipal officials last month.
The existing Keith Valley Middle School is aging and in need of serious repairs. There are ADA issues throughout the facility and upgrades are needed to the HVAC systems. Through prior studies and through a process conducted by D’Huy Engineering, it was determined that replacing the entire middle school was the most feasible option for the district. So, the next steps were to meet with the community members to design a replacement middle school that can better serve its students as part of a 21st century learning environment.
SCHRADERGROUP partnered with HHSD and D’Huy Engineering to host the workshop on April 8th. After an introductory process, the team split into smaller groups. Each group was given site plans and program blocks to brainstorm and envision the different aspects of the new school on the existing site. SG is very excited to take the next steps in creating a dynamic and functional middle school to serve the residents of Hatboro-Horsham School District.
Following the completion of the Crooked Billet Elementary School in 2020, this exciting project continues SG’s relationship with Hatboro-Horsham School District and all of the wonderful people who live, work and learn in the district.
Learn more about other SG projects at Hatboro-Horsham School District here.
Learn more about Hatboro-Horsham School District here.
School District of Springfield Township, Enfield K-2 Early Learning Center Recognized as Outstanding Project in Learning By Design’s Spring 2021 Issue
SCHRADERGROUP (SG) is proud to announce that our recently completed project, the School District of Springfield Township’s Enfield K-2 Early Learning Center, has been recognized as an Outstanding Project in Learning By Design’s Spring 2021 issue.
Each year, Learning By Design showcases the very best in the educational design and construction market. The award-winning magazine is published three times a year and regularly recognizes the nation’s top K-12 and higher education projects and architecture firms.
SG is excited to have yet another project featured in this prestigious magazine. We have thoroughly enjoyed working with the School District of Springfield Township (SDST) and are honored to have this wonderful facility featured in this issue.
Faced with a growing population and following studies of potential options, SDST elected to create a new Early Learning Center for grades K-2 for their district. SCHRADERGROUP worked with the District and community to create this 105,000 SF facility nestled into a sloping site with a courtyard in the center. The learning resource center and STEAM program is located at the core of the facility and the evening public-use spaces are to the front. The academic clusters radiate from the learning resource center around the courtyard. Creative configuration of the classroom clusters allows the building to climb the hillside of the site while including a quiet contemplative courtyard nestled into the classroom clusters. The courtyard is designed to enhance outdoor learning opportunities.
The exterior material and building masses are residential in character to work with the surrounding neighborhood. Colors, building heights and masses, and rooflines are all carefully calibrated to reduce the scale of the facility from all street views.
You can view the Spring 2021 issue of Learning By Design here.
Learn more about the Enfield K-2 Early Learning Center here. The ribbon cutting ceremony for the new facility will take place later this month!
SG is proud to have partnered with Springfield Township School District. Learn more about this amazing school district here.
Council Rock School District’s Rolling Hills Elementary School Completed with LEED Gold Certification + ACE Grant
SCHRADERGROUP (SG) is excited to announce that Council Rock School District’s (CRSD) Rolling Hills Elementary School additions and renovations project is complete. The 12,426 SF addition and 62,695 SF renovation project transformed the facility to support the next generation of learning. The construction phase of this project persevered through the challenges associated with the pandemic through spring and summer of 2020.
Rolling Hills Elementary School is a 75,121 SF single-story elementary school for grades K-6. The existing building floor plan was completely overhauled through to the concrete roof structure to convert the existing old-style open classroom layout to a progressive and functional configuration with natural daylighting.
The design incorporated energy efficient solutions, including solar panels on the roof, and achieved LEED Gold Certification and an ACE Grant from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The transformation is further exemplified with an identifiable high-volume main entrance that floods the space with natural light. New building façades were constructed with abundant window openings and a variety of exterior finish materials which serve to fragment the horizontality of the one-story classroom wings.
Apart from the Multi-Purpose Room which remained in its previous location, the majority of the other spaces were reconfigured within the parameters of the original building footprint. Additions for an expanded and secure administration area, classrooms and stage were added to support the design program. The building also received all new exterior and interior walls, new mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems, and AV/IT infrastructure systems.
SG is proud of our partnership with the Council Rock School District, D’Huy Engineering, and our many great consultants. We look forward to more projects in the future.
Learn more about Council Rock School District here.
Learn more about Council Rock School District’s Rolling Hills Elementary School project, here.
See previously completed K-12 projects, including other Council Rock School District projects here.
