Tag: public school architecture

Project Highlight: Anne Frank School

In August of 2022, Anne Frank School construction came to an end after major renovations and additions. The school was previously comprised of two buildings constructed in different eras: a 74,500 SF original school building constructed in 1962, and a smaller building: one of the School District of Philadelphia’s acclaimed Little School House structures. With the latest addition, SCHRADERGROUP successfully linked the buildings and formed a united academic facility, which now provides space for additional learning opportunities, centralized administration, and food service.

The addition features nine classrooms, a Learning Stair directly accessing the new media center, administrative and nursing suites, and an expansion of the Little School House cafeteria. Relocating the administrative suite allows the Anne Frank School to provide a centralized secure point of entry, thus improving the overall safety of students and faculty.

Anne Frank School is home to students from over forty nations, who speak over forty languages. The administration considers the school a model of diversity both in its population and available programs. With diversity as inspiration, SCHRADERGROUP designed the facility with multi-cultural and colorful graphics to celebrate the students’ heritage and backgrounds.

The original 1962 building is three stories and houses classrooms, the gymnasium, auditorium, and original cafeteria. This section of the school underwent a renovation consisting of new interior finishes, window systems, and general building systems.

SCHRADERGROUP optimized the layout of the existing school buildings through designs that benefit students and inspire creativity. The bridge linking the existing main building to the new addition is airy and colorful, with flexible seating to accommodate modern learning practices. The windows throughout the addition were designed with young learners in mind and provide a fun, colorful, and naturally lit area through which students can gain a new perspective.

The renovations and upgrades offer students up-to-date technology and amenities, encouraging growth through creative, student-centered spaces. The addition unites the school and allows it to function as a whole, rather than as separate parts. SCHRADERGROUP is honored to have worked on this project along with the School District of Philadelphia and wishes the students, administration, and families of Anne Frank School a bright future.

Photos: Halkin-Mason Photography

Phoenixville Area School District Hosts Groundbreaking Ceremony for its new Elementary School in East Pikeland Township

On Friday, December 8th, Phoenixville Area School District hosted its commemorative groundbreaking ceremony to kick off the construction phase of their new elementary school located on Hares Hill Road in East Pikeland Township, PA. The 98,500 SF facility will house 700 students from grades 2 through 6, alleviating overcrowding at the middle school by moving 6th grade students to the new building. This will be the first elementary school in East Pikeland since the previous school’s closing, and the Township residents are thrilled to welcome a new school to their community.

The school’s layout takes advantage of the existing terrain, creating a balanced, multilevel facility. Upon entering the school, the interior boasts an impressive Learning Stair, where students can socialize and participate in a collaborative learning environment. The Learning Stair leads to a specialized STEAM area on the second floor where the Art room, STEM room, and Media Center are located. One of the building’s key design features is an enclosed courtyard, providing a secure indoor-outdoor space for students to learn and play. The entire configuration of the facility promotes collaboration and a forward-looking educational experience.

SG understands the future of education involves new teaching methods emphasizing the importance of sustainability. With this in mind, solar panels will be installed on all south-facing and flat roofs, and a panel will be located in the courtyard for students to observe the benefits of this energy source. Additionally, through a rainwater collection system, students discover the benefits of collecting and reusing water for their courtyard gardens.

The community showed tremendous support at the groundbreaking ceremony, including students, parents, faculty, and staff, who echoed the excitement shown throughout the planning and design process. This new elementary school will be a landmark for Phoenixville Area School District, and SG is proud to have collaborated with the District on this achievement. The school is projected to open in the Fall of 2025.

To see more of our K-12 projects, click here.

Hazleton School District Hosts Three Celebratory Ribbon-Cutting Ceremonies to Honor New Construction Projects

Hazleton Area School District experienced tremendous growth, and over the past few weeks, unveiled its three latest projects: the Hazleton Area Academy, the Cyber Academy, and the Arts and Humanities Academy. These new academies not only address capacity issues, but add to the quality of education for students throughout the District. Each new facility had ribbon-cutting ceremonies commemorating these significant milestones, and SCHRADERGROUP (SG) is honored to have worked alongside the dedicated people who help contribute to student success.

The first ribbon-cutting celebrated the opening of the Hazleton Area Academy, the old site of the Hazle Township Early Learning Center, and it currently offers early intervention and pre-K enrollment, plus VITAL House independent living and lifestyle training for young adults with disabilities. Totaling 40,000 SF of renovation, this center utilizes a repurposed portion of the school to serve young students. SG worked alongside the District in crafting a design that provides essential tools and spaces for developing minds, student growth, and engagement. The Hazleton Area Academy features transitional spaces for early learners, adaptable café spaces to introduce the students to elementary-level dining, and a flexible indoor recreation area. VITAL House includes a classroom area and fully accessible simulated apartment living.

As for the Cyber Academy, the ribbon-cutting ceremony recognized its K-12 project opening. The Cyber Academy is a unique 8,200 SF facility in the Laurel Mall, catering to the demand for online learning. SG utilized state-of-the-art technology within the 22 interactive teaching offices. The Cyber Academy emphasizes the versatility and accessibility of virtual learning and activities. It boasts a student conference and testing area, a 1,200 SF EA Sports Arena, a student-run retail store, and a secure reception area with flexible meeting spaces. Students can now participate in virtual classes and clubs and can even earn a Hazleton Area School District diploma.

State representatives, news outlets, and the community attended the third ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Arts and Humanities Academy. The total area measures over 44,000 SF and is located in the CANO Industrial Business Park. Featuring a theater, dance studio, and vocal studio, the academy caters to students in grades 9-12 who want to further their artistic passions. SG designed the facility to accommodate performing arts, news, video, and other communications outlets.

Hazleton Area School District is a long-standing client of SG, and we are happy to contribute to bright futures for the next generation of students, faculty, and staff throughout the District.

West View Elementary School Completes Construction Topping-Off Milestone of New Addition

The construction team at North Hills School District’s West View Elementary recently installed the final steel beam, advancing the progress of its new addition. The installation of the final beam represents the hard work and dedication all the teams have put forward, furthering the construction process. Built in 1925, West View originally served as the first junior high school in the nation, now housing upwards of four hundred students as an elementary school.

The school’s new addition, designed by SCHRADERGROUP (SG), will be 113,000 SF and feature administrative, nursing, and classroom spaces on the first floor, with additional classrooms and an expanded library equipped with a STEAM classroom on the second floor. This added space will provide ample room for students to grow and succeed in their education.

Team members and school administrators signed the steel beams with pride and well wishes for the future of the students and the school. The addition’s projected finish date is January 2024, while additional renovations are set to coincide with West View’s centennial anniversary in 2025.

West View’s topping-off ceremony represents tangible progress toward the future of learning. SG proudly worked with the school district and the leadership of the elementary school on this new addition. We are honored to create a practical and essential space where students can further their knowledge and achieve their academic goals. SG considered the best technology, sustainable features, and updates to streamline the way students move, collaborate, and learn within the space.

To learn more about our K-12 projects, click here.

Photos c/o North Hills School District – Facebook

SCHRADERGROUP Attends the DVASBO Four County Business Managers Conference at Sky Top Lodge

School district business managers, representing the four counties of Bucks, Chester, Delaware, and Montgomery, held their annual conference at the Sky Top Lodge from October 4-6, 2023.

At the DVASBO Four County Conference, SCHRADERGROUP (SG) sponsored one of the evening events and spoke at one of the morning sessions. David Schrader and Danielle Hoffer presented “Life after PlanCon,” which outlined the evolution of the role of the public school architect since the 2016 Pennsylvania Commonwealth moratorium on school construction funding.

The session highlighted the changes in the processes and types of projects districts conducted under the PlanCon process, compared to those initiated since the 2016 moratorium. As a result of reduced school funding, elimination of construction reimbursement by the Commonwealth, and the higher likelihood of being faced with a referendum for major construction projects, SG reviewed a variety of case studies, procurement methodologies, and resources the team has utilized to continue to maintain and upgrade district assets.

The SG team is grateful for this opportunity to share our experiences with our school district colleagues.

To see some of SG’s K-12 Projects, please click here.

HHSD Keith Valley Construction Update!

Exciting times are upon us as we witness Hatboro-Horsham School District’s NEW Keith Valley Middle School rise out of the ground. Incredible progress has been made over the first summer of construction and the new state-of-the-art facility beginning to take shape. Ongoing work includes foundations, concrete slabs, concrete retaining walls, and the erection of structural steel.

Photography by D’Huy Engineering, Inc

The NEW Keith Valley Middle School is being constructed in the foreground while the old Keith Valley Middle School remains in operation in the background.

The foundation work for Keith Valley Middle School commenced about three weeks ago. These vital structures are the bedrock of our future, ensuring the stability and longevity of the building. As each day passes, we see the foundations grow stronger, laying the groundwork for a new era in education at Keith Valley Middle School.

The classroom wings are rising from the ground while new underground stormwater basins are excavated.
The site is buzzing with activity on a daily basis with earthwork underway to install stormwater basins and crush the massive field of rock that was unearthed during construction. Foundations and massive retaining walls are nearly complete. Concrete slabs have been poured for the classroom pods and administrative wing. Most impressive is the structural steel that has been erected for the four 3-story classroom pods.

Photography by D’Huy Engineering, Inc

Starting in the Fall of 2025, the impressive 275,000 square foot facility will house up to 1,200 students in grades 6 through 8 with innovative and flexible learning spaces throughout the school. The students and staff of Hatboro-Horsham school district eagerly await the opportunity to utilize their new facility, which will take learning to a new level within the District. Until then, they have the best seat in the house to watch their new home be built one day at a time.

Perhaps the most striking sight on the construction site is the soaring steel framework. With three of the four educational wings already erected, it’s awe-inspiring to witness the structure reaching toward the sky.

Please click the image above to see a drone view of the construction site.
Videography shot by D’huy Engineering, Inc.

The transformation of Keith Valley Middle School’s renovation is a testament to progress, determination, and vision. As we continue this exciting journey, we invite you to stay tuned for more updates.

To see more K-12 projects done by SCHRADERGROUP, please visit our website here.

SCHRADERGROUP attends Franklin County 9-1-1 Ribbon Cutting

SCHRADERGROUP (SG) had the pleasure of attending the Franklin County Ribbon Cutting event in North Carolina on Tuesday, September 12th, 2023, in celebration of opening its new 9-1-1 communication center.

The 911 communication center, recognized as a Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP), holds a pivotal role in emergency response and public safety. Its core mission revolves around efficiently and effectively receiving, processing, and dispatching emergency calls and services.

The new 911 communication center also serves as the crucial liaison between the general public and emergency response agencies across Franklin County. The County received approximately $4 million through the NC911 Grant program to develop an advanced emergency communication center covering 5,300 square feet. This cutting-edge facility is located on a 3.90-acre site adjacent to the current public safety and detention center.

SG served as both the architect and structural engineering firm for the new emergency communication center. We are delighted to have engaged the expertise of the SG team, comprised of seasoned professionals, to design this essential infrastructure facility. It is instrumental in managing emergency calls, deploying the requisite resources, and ensuring a well-coordinated response to emergencies. Ultimately, this effort contributes to the preservation of lives and the enhancement of public safety across Franklin County.

Among those present was Kimberly Denton, Franklin County Manager, who welcomed and commenced the ceremony. Speeches were delivered by Michael S. Schriver, Chairman of the Franklin County Commissioners, Pokey Harris, Executive Director of the NC 911 Board, and Kimberly Denton herself. Christy Shearin, FC 911 Director, presided over both the ribbon-cutting ceremony and the closing remarks.

To see more projects we’ve worked on, please visit our website here.

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.

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.