Tag: functional design
SCHRADERGROUP: Enhancing Your Community with Next Generation Learning Environments
WE BELIEVE ACADEMIC DESIGN TRULY IS THE DESIGN FOR THE FUTURE
Over 19 years as a firm, SCHRADERGROUP (SG) completed over 200 projects in design for education and devoted the majority of its practice to learning environments. We are focused on creating learning environments specific to your vision for developing the leaders and thinkers for tomorrow.
Our Partners and Associates have over three decades of experience in academic facility design and are involved with school associations locally, nationally, and internationally (PASBO, DVASBO, NSBA, PSBA, A4LE, and others.) With this experience, the SG leadership continues to be committed to academic design to ensure the best experience for you.
SG employs 40+ full-time professional staff and is a full-service architecture firm offering planning and design services in the areas of architecture, structural engineering, planning, interior design, and construction administration. SG has the capacity to design over $400 million in construction projects per year.
The SG team works diligently to deliver projects in the most timely and cost effective manner and offers solutions that will satisfy programming standards of facilities nationally. With this effort, the stage is set for a design that will be entirely appropriate to its setting while satisfying the ergonomic needs of the using agencies.
Check out our a few of our K-12 Projects here.
Downloads of our K-12 flyer, brochure, and SOQ are available here.
And downloads of our tour book and brochure on our star project, Upper Merion Area High School, are available here.
PennDOT Southeastern Regional Traffic Management Center and Parking Garage recognized as Alternative Delivery Project of the Year (2022)
SCHRADERGROUP (SG) is proud to announce that the PennDOT District 6 Regional Traffic Management Center (RTMC), for which we served as the design team with design-builder Heim Construction, was recognized by March of Dimes as the Alternative Delivery Project of the year! The award was received by Louis Belmonte, on behalf of PennDOT District 6.
The Alternative Delivery Project of the Year Award recognizes exceptional projects that have been executed using alternative project delivery methods. In the case of the RTMC project, DGS and PennDOT agreed to use the Design-Build delivery method to economize on schedule, budget, and process. The award acknowledges this and highlights projects that have successfully implemented these alternative delivery methods while achieving outstanding results in terms of design, construction, cost management, and overall project success.
Photography by Todd Mason
The PennDOT District 6 Project is a 24/7 regional traffic management center (RTMC) that uses Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) to help manage and monitor traffic patterns as well as to improve the flow of traffic throughout the Philadelphia region. The new RTMC is an impressive and modern facility designed to prioritize safety and to improve traffic flows by using state-of-the-art technology, including advanced traffic management systems, ITS, and a network of cameras and sensors. The RTMC has been constructed to help leverage these technologies as the region’s roadway network is modified and improved in coming years.
Within the RTMC facility, there are dedicated staff members assigned to monitor live camera feeds as well as electronic traffic sensors, ensuring the accurate and timely reporting of crucial information to emergency services, local transportation agencies, and law enforcement. User amenities abound in the facility as next generation communication and control centers begin to reflect the ergonomic needs of the users who work long hours to protect the region’s drivers.
SCHRADERGROUP is proud to have been part of the Heim design-build team to develop this incredible project for PennDOT, DGS and for the region’s drivers.
To see more of our public safety projects, click here.
Upper Merion Area School District’s Upper Merion Area High School Recognized as an Outstanding Project in American School & University’s Fall 2022 Architectural Portfolio
SCHRADERGROUP (SG) is proud to announce that our recently completed project, Upper Merion Area School District’s new Upper Merion Area High School, has received an Outstanding Project Award from American School & University for its Fall 2022 Architectural Portfolio.
SG is excited to have another project featured in this prestigious publication. We have thoroughly enjoyed working with Upper Merion Area School District (UMASD) and are honored to have this excellent school 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 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.
After a complete community-engaged master planning process and subsequent successful new elementary school projects, Upper Merion Area School District (UMASD) began the process of creating a flagship facility to house the upper secondary programs for the District. A thorough process was utilized, including multiple user meetings and tours of state-of-the-art facilities throughout the United States.
The intent behind the facility is to provide career and higher education level spaces for the students of UMASD to engage in the 21st-century learning activities of “research, develop, and present!” Multiple hi-tech industry workspaces as well as contemporary higher education spaces were studied in the process of the development of this unique facility.
The 345,000 SF facility is connected to the existing middle school through the athletic and performing arts facilities to provide a full secondary campus. The resulting facility provides enriching opportunities for students from the traditional 6th-grade through 12th-grade ages.
A true “student commons” is the heart of the facility and will be an “all-day” area for multiple activities. The commons is a two-story open space with learning resources located on the second level to enhance the research and project-based components mixed with dining and food-based opportunities on the ground floor. After hours, the “commons” space will provide pre- and post-activity support for both the athletic as well as the performing arts complexes. A full competition gymnasium and competition swimming venue is the connector to the middle school. The performing arts complex provides a complete 650-seat theater with a balcony and all supporting performing arts spaces.
Student services, technology distribution, and support spaces are located between the commons space and the academic area. A three-story academic wing supports the core academic programs with a STEAM-based center, multiple project and team-based spaces, and a three-story learning stair. The learning stair connects all core programs vertically to enhance the cross-pollination of learning activities. Transparency is a key aspect of the facility’s design and is utilized to promote the visual connection between each of the learning activities.
The new facility was constructed while the existing high school on site was still occupied. The existing facility is currently being demolished, and new playing fields will be constructed in its place.
A unique site feature is an underground stream bisecting the site. The project chooses to highlight that challenge by exposing the stream at its outfall within a new outdoor amphitheater and teaching area. This outdoor space enhances internal building program opportunities by connecting them to the exterior. The stream provides for science-based learning activities directly on campus. The new facility allows the students of UMASD to have tremendous additional learning opportunities.
You can view our entry in the Fall 2022 Architectural Portfolio issue of American School & University on page 73 here.
Learn more about the Upper Merion Area High School here.
SG is proud to have partnered with Upper Merion Area School District. Learn more about this great school district here.
SCHRADERGROUP Attends 36th Annual DVASBO Trade Show
SCHRADERGROUP (SG) recently attended the Delaware Valley Association of School Board Officials (DVASBO)’s 36th Annual Trade Show on Wednesday, November 9th at the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center in Oaks, PA.
SG was proud to attend and exhibit at this conference once again. It was great to return to the trade show this year and to see so many friendly and familiar faces. SG was proud to assist in DVASBO’s mission of developing and supporting leaders in school business operations for the counties of Bucks, Chester, Delaware, and Montgomery.
The Trade Show was attended by Managing Partner David Schrader and Associate Devin Bradbury. The day included prize drawings, seminars, exhibitions, breakfast, and lunch.
It was great to be at a trade show again and to physically see everyone and talk to people face-to-face. We had great fun connecting with school business officials and we look forward to attending again next year!
DVASBO is a 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 is devoted to providing members with education, training, professional development, and timely access to legislative and policy news. The SG team would like to thank the DVASBO staff for organizing this trade show. To learn more about DVASBO, click here.
To learn more about SCHRADERGRPOUP’s commitment to educational facilities, click here.
SCHRADERGROUP Recognized as an EPiC Firm by American Institute of Architects Pennsylvania Chapter
SCHRADERGROUP (SG) is proud to announce that the Pennsylvania Chapter of the American Institute of Architects (AIA) has recognized SG for our support and development of emerging professionals in 2022.
The AIA Pennsylvania Emerging Professionals Committee (EpiC) was established to improve the network, role, and impact of Emerging Professionals throughout the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The committee distinguished SG for successfully supporting the emerging professionals on our staff and for demonstrating a commitment to the development of Pennsylvania’s emerging professionals.
We would like to thank the PA AIA and we are honored to be included on this list of esteemed firms. You can view the full list here.
To learn more about SCHRADERGROUP, please click here.
SCHRADERGROUP Presents at the 2022 EDspaces Convention in Portland, Oregon
SCHRADERGROUP (SG) attended the EDspaces Education Conference from Wednesday, November 2nd to Friday, November 4th, 2022 at the Oregon Convention Center in Portland, OR. SG Managing Partner David Schrader and SG Associate Danie Hoffer represented SCHRADERGROUP at the conference.
EDspaces is a place where innovation transforms learning environments. Attendees learned about industry trends, fresh perspectives, and innovative case studies. Professionals from across the country attended to contribute to collective industry knowledge and to add their own voices to the conversation surrounding the future of learning.
EDspaces featured a curated, multi-track educational and professional development series of 60+ education sessions conducted in classrooms designed by visionary A+D firms that competed to share their innovative ideas for the future of learning.
David and Danie were joined by Upper Merion Area School District (UMASD) Superintendent Dr. John Toleno and Upper Merion Area High School (UMAHS) Principal Jonathan Bauer for a special “EDsession” focused on UMAHS. The session, titled, “Student-Focused Design to Inspire Personal Achievement – the Next Generation High School,” explored how technology, space, and pedagogy converge to impact student success. The session profiled how local businesses and industries inspired the design of the new High School in King of Prussia, a suburb of Philadelphia. The session included a discussion on the educational limitations of the existing traditional high school designed in the 1960s as compared to the design of the new high school. The new facility provides higher education level spaces to engage in interactive learning activities of “research, develop, and present!” Spaces integrated throughout offer opportunities in flexible spaces to complement how different students learn.
The presentation visually immersed participants in the design of the school with a fly-around of the building. Using 3-D modeling technology, this tool is used throughout the design process to engage the client and allow the end user to experience the space design from the very early design stages to the full design development including the interior finishes. Participants will experience the volume of the spaces and how students will move through the building.
In addition to the speaking opportunities, attendees were also invited to tour nearby next-generation learning facilities and to attend a symposium on educational disruption. Thank you to Discovery High School, James Faubion Elementary School, and Vancouver Innovation Technology & Arts Elementary School for letting us tour your wonderful schools!
SG was proud to attend this conference again and we are very excited to attend in Charlotte, NC in 2023!
To learn more about EDspaces, click here.
To learn more about SCHRADERGROUP’s commitment to creating 21st Century learning environments, click here.
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).
Be sure to follow SG on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter for updates on all things SCHRADERGROUP!
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.
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 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.
