Tag: HHSD
Recapping 2020: SCHRADERGROUP’S 16TH Year
2020 was quite a year. A year filled with challenges endured by all. We learned to live with new norms and learned how to adjust to dramatic changes not only in the workplace, but in everyday life as well.
But with these challenging times comes a chance to seize opportunities, continue growth and show our commitment to our clients, partners and the community. The SCHRADERGROUP (SG) team is grateful for all of the opportunities and experiences we have been able to participate in the past year (yes, that includes virtually), and would like to take the time to reflect on all that was accomplished in 2020.
While the SG team had participated in many events for this year, we have responded to all social distancing guidelines and appropriate pandemic responses.
The SCHRADERGROUP Team
2020 marks SCHRADERGROUP’s sixteenth anniversary…
SCHRADERGROUP was established on April 15, 2004. Since then, SG has been recognized both regionally and nationally for functional and dynamic design that offers the highest degree of service to the user, responds to and respects both the built and natural environment, and demonstrates inspired aesthetics.
New location…SG started off 2020 by opening a new office location in Raleigh, North Carolina. With existing offices in Philadelphia, Lancaster and Baltimore, SG is now more committed than ever to providing dedicated academic and public safety design to all our long-standing clients across the country, as well as welcoming additional opportunities in the North Carolina region.
Keeping our community safe…
As the COVID-19 pandemic initially caused a severe shortage of personal protective equipment (PPE) back in April, members of the SG team worked with Cornell University in their “Operation PPE” effort to provide protective gear for medical professionals. Sets of 3D printed face visors were paired with laser-cut shields and shipped to Mercy Catholic Medical Center in West Philadelphia.
Community Engagement
SG celebrated project initiations by attending several groundbreaking ceremonies…SG marked the beginning of construction of the Upper Merion Area School District’s (UMASD) new High School project with a Groundbreaking Ceremony. The 345,000 SF new facility connects the existing middle school through the athletic facilities creating a full secondary campus. The project was the result of a community-engaged master planning process and two successful UMASD elementary school projects.
In August, SG attended the Groundbreaking Ceremony for the new Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) District 6-0 Regional Traffic Management Center (RTMC) and Parking Structure project. Designed to achieve a LEED Silver rating, the 2-story, 44,000 SF facility will expand PennDOT’s capabilities and enhance operations. The project is scheduled for completion in September 2022.
In tune with our mission of community involvement, SG participated in the following events…
Presenting to the community…
In November, SCHRADERGROUP participated in two virtual presentations for local school district classes informing students of the architectural processes involved in our projects.
SG Project Manager Dan D’Amico presented to Upper Merion Area School District’s School Board and community a video update on the High School construction project. He then went on to show the presentation to a tech class at the High School, providing students a chance to see the site plan, floor plan and renderings. You can view this presentation here.
Managing Partner David Schrader co-hosted a presentation to a class in Council Rock School District’s High School North in November as well. The presentation focused on green building and was hosted with CRSD Director of Operations Doug Taylor.
SG’s commitment to design and sustainability for the next generation will not cease because of the current pandemic. We plan to continue our dedication to educational facilities and the community that use them into the new year, whether those activities can be done safely in person or virtually.
Conferences + Events
The SG team made exciting new connections at various conferences and events this year…
SCHRADERGROUP attended various virtual conferences this year in lieu of the usual in-person events.
The SG team attended the PASBO Facilities, Transportation & Safety conference this year. This conference looks into three critical areas in school business: Facility Management, Student Transportation and School Safety.
Managing Partner David Schrader and Senior Project Manager Danielle Hoffer, along with Upper Merion Area School District Administrative Team Dr. John Toleno and Jonathan Bauer, hosted a virtual presentation at the Association for Learning Environments (A4LE) Annual Conference in November.
Additionally, SG Principal Harry Pettoni attended the North Carolina Sheriff’s Association Fall meeting in Carteret County, NC in November. The NCSA conference allows sheriffs and deputies to come together to talk about key issues facing law enforcement agencies across the state. The conference followed all CDC guidelines.
Awards + Recognition
SCHRADERGROUP is proud to announce the following awards we have received in 2020…
SG is honored to earn a ranking once again in the Engineering News-Record (ENR) Mid-Atlantic’s Top Design Firms list for 2020. We share this honor with all of our dedicated clients and partners whose continued commitment made this #96 ranking possible. You can view the full list here.
SG is equally proud of the recognition for the following projects this year…
SG celebrated with the Council Rock School District (CRSD), D’Huy Engineering and Breslin Ridyard Fadero Architects at the official presentation of LEED Gold Plaques for CRSD’s Holland Middle School and Newtown Middle School projects. SG designed Holland Middle School while Breslin Ridyard Fadero Architects designed Newtown Middle School. The two teams worked in tandem to design these facilities at the same time in order to create a level of educational parity and similar aesthetics within the two facilities. CRSD, with D’Huy Engineering’s guidance, was able to secure an ACE grant for both projects.
See SG in the news as well!
Looking to 2021 + Beyond
We thank you for all of the experiences we have had during 2020 and are excited for more opportunities in the new year!
Wishing you, your families and loved ones a Happy, Healthy New Year!
From all of us at
Hatboro-Horsham School District’s New Crooked Billet Elementary School Will Soon be Ready for Students
We are excited to announce that one of our new elementary schools is expected to be completed in early October 2020 and ready for students. Hatboro-Horsham School District’s (HHSD) 110,000 SF Crooked Billet Elementary School is the District’s most recent accomplishment in upgrading its aging facilities and is another symbol of rebirth in the community surrounding it. The new K-5 facility replaced the original 1950s elementary school on the same site and will accommodate a larger population of 600 students.
Important to the district and community was the preservation of the history of the site. The Battle of Crooked Billet landmark proudly displayed in front of the school anchors the primary entrance to the building. Adjacent to the main administration entrance, a two-story rotunda serves as an interactive learning space featuring the history of Crooked Billet. The rotunda is centrally located between the curricular areas for Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math (STEAM) program including the STEAM classroom, Media Center, TV Studio and Art classroom. This central core of the building also serves as the transitional area between the public spaces such as the gymnasium and cafeteria, and the academic two-story classroom wing.
The classroom wing showcases an innovative academic layout. Four grade level classrooms are clustered together with each pair of classrooms sharing a small group instruction area. The grade level cluster is directly adjacent to a central large group instruction area where the entire grade level can gather. Each cluster is designed with its own unique color providing grade level identity and wayfinding. Student cubbies are located in the corridors to maximize classroom efficiency.
SCHRADERGROUP is grateful for this opportunity to team with HHSD for the design of Crooked Billet Elementary School. This successful collaborative experience has truly been a team effort resulting in a school that will serve the community for generations.
Learn more about Crooked Billet Elementary School here.
SCHRADERGROUP attends Third Annual “Hatters Hold ‘Em” Casino Night to Support Hatboro-Horsham Educational Foundation
The evening consisted of table games, silent auctions, live music and a special guest appearance from the Sportscaster of the Philadelphia Eagles, Merrill Reese.
Accompanied by Dr. Curtis Griffin, HHSD Superintendent of Schools and his wife, and the organizer of the HHEF Girl’s STEAM program and her husband, SG’s Senior Project Manager and Educational Planner, Danielle V. Hoffer and her husband enjoyed an evening with friends and supporters of the Hatboro-Horsham School District.
As educational planners and architects, SG is committed to providing educational facilities that further enrich the learning experience. Currently under construction, the new Crooked Billet Elementary School was designed to provide a variety learning environments, both in and outside of the classroom, to support the learning needs of every student. The success of this event and the continued work of the foundation provides the opportunity to introduce students to new curriculum and innovations in education that give the buildings we design an exciting purpose.
The SG team would like to extend our sincere thanks to the dedicated members of the Educational Foundation’s Casino Night committee for organizing this eventful evening for a remarkable cause.
To read more about SG’s involvement within Hatboro-Horsham School District, click here.
SCHRADERGROUP Senior Project Manager attends Hatboro-Horsham School District Community Networking Event
The Hatboro-Horsham School District hosted a Business Networking and Partnership Event at the Hatboro-Horsham High School. SCHRADERGROUP’s Senior Project Manager, Danielle V. Hoffer, joined community business leaders in the area to share what is happening in the District and to personally experience the “WOW” teachers and students are creating in the classrooms and beyond. Principal Dennis Williams engaged the group in a team building exercise and spoke eloquently on the future of education and how learning styles have changed to prepare students for the future workforce.
Superintendent Dr. Curtis Griffin was excited to present the design of the new Crooked Billet Elementary School. Working with the SCHRADERGROUP team (led by Managing Partner, David Schrader, Danielle V. Hoffer and Project Manager, Devin Bradbury), the new school was designed to respond to project-based learning styles with small and large group collaboration areas in the academic wing. The public areas, including the gymnasium and cafeteria with a central stage, offer space for a variety of school and public venues. The old Crooked Billet Elementary School has already been demolished and the new building is starting to come up out of the ground.
Just one of the many positive changes that is happening in the Hatboro-Horsham School District that SCHRADERGROUP is excited about.
Check out Crooked Billet’s Groundbreaking event here.
And our project page on Crooked Billet here.
SCHRADERGROUP participates in an exciting Groundbreaking Ceremony for the New Crooked Billet Elementary School in the Hatboro-Horsham School District
SCHRADERGROUP is excited to have attended the Hatboro-Horsham School District’s Groundbreaking Ceremony for the District’s New Crooked Billet Elementary School.
Marking the beginning of the construction process for the new school, the School District and Community are excited to begin the journey to welcome students to the facility in 2020. The Crooked Billet Elementary School has a special place in the heart of its local community, being a place of history and a home for many.
The proposed facility is exciting in several ways. The Crooked Billet monument and the history rotunda will commemorate the Revolutionary War event that the school is named after. Students will enter the building by passing the monument and then will be immersed in history in the central rotunda. Once in the learning environment clusters, students will be greeted by teachers in 21st century learning environments consisting of team project areas surrounded by classroom and small group spaces. This facility is truly revolutionary in a multitude of ways!
The SG team is pleased to partner with the Hatboro-Horsham School District and the community on this highly anticipated educational facility.
You can watch HHSD’s Groundbreaking Ceremony here.
SCHRADERGROUP Architect attends Hatboro-Horsham High School’s Statistic Fair
As each school year winds down, the Advanced Placement Statistics course at Hatboro-Horsham High School hosts an event in June to evaluate the students final statistics project. SCHRADERGROUP’s Danielle Hoffer, Senior Project Manager for the Architectural firm designing the new Crooked Billet Elementary School for the School District, was invited to participate as a Guest Evaluator.
Over 40 student-teams shared their projects and findings at the fair which is modeled after science fairs, where students share exhibits and take questions from those who attend in a casual environment. The students are given the task of explaining their project quickly and effectively, keeping in mind the audience may have limited statistical knowledge.
At SCHRADERGROUP, we continue to support our communities in our schools—especially where we can help to promote science, technology, engineering and math!
Check out HHSD’s video on their Statistics Fair here.