Tag: Structural Engineering
Great Valley School District Breaks Ground on New 5/6 Center
SCHRADERGROUP (SG) attended the official ceremonial groundbreaking for the new 5/6 Center for Great Valley School District (GVSD) on Monday, July 18th. SG Managing Partner David Schrader and Associate Danielle V. Hoffer attended the event with GVSD board members, administration, and the design team.
As a result of a comprehensive Facility Assessment and Master Plan, the option to build a new 5-6 Center will provide the district relief at the four K-5 elementary schools and 6-8 middle school as enrollments continue to climb. The construction of a new facility provides a unique opportunity to design a facility specific for this transitional age group to accommodate 900 students. Based on the teaming model, the academic wing will be comprised of four classroom clusters per grade level on each floor.
The new school will be located on the site currently serving the K.D. Markley Elementary School and the District Administration Building. A portion of the existing District Administration Building will be demolished with the original historic portion of the building maintained. The former historic building will be repurposed as the bus drop-off entrance to the school. A bridge connects the two-story academic building on the lower side of the site to the public spaces on the upper side. The sitework will include modifications to the existing site circulation, including a separate bus drop off for both the new 5-6 Center and the K. D. Markley Elementary School, as well as parking and playfields to accommodate the new construction and program.
The historic portion of the building will be renovated to house the school’s STEM program and will serve as the back drop for the media resource area. The central 2-story learning commons in the academic core of the building features a learning stair to provide a vertical connection from the first to second floor overlooking the space.
The main entrance opens into the dining commons with the stage. Tiered seating allows this multi-purpose space to serve as a performance area. The stage is also accessible from the gymnasium side to provide options for different venues.
This facility is scheduled to open in the fall of 2024.
To learn more about Great Valley School District, please click here.
To learn more about SCHRADERGROUP’s commitment to design for education, please click here.
SCHRADERGROUP Attends A4LE Northeast’s 2022 Annual Regional Conference
SCHRADERGROUP (SG) recently attended the annual Association for Learning Environments (A4LE) 2022 Northeast Region Conference from April 6th to the 9th in Washington, D.C.
The conference was held at the Hyatt Regency Washington on Capitol Hill and was attended by SG Managing Partner David Schrader, Principal Harry Pettoni, Associate Danielle Hoffer, Interior Designer Charlotte Stoudt, and Project Architect Christopher Farmer.
In addition to our firm’s presence at this great event, SG’s own David Schrader and Danie Hoffer presented a special session along with the School District of Springfield Township’s (SDST) Director of Student Affairs, Dr. Catherine Van Vooren.
The session, titled “Enhanced Critical Thinking – For 5 Year Olds?” profiled how SDST and the community worked together to inspire the design of a new K-2 early learning center: the Enfield Elementary School located in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. The session dove into how SG’s community-based workshop process and the resulting school design promotes critical thinking, student movement, collaboration, socialization, and communication through the principles of project-based learning for these very young and influential minds.
The theme for this year’s conference was “Blossoming Minds… A Time for Renewal and Optimism.” The event gathered school facility managers, architects, educators, school planners, engineers, and maintenance and industry experts to share in new conversations about the need for adapting our learning environments to new levels of mindfulness, as well as personalized comfort found in equality, inclusion, and the community. The conference focused on a strong understanding of the student experience and how designing with empathy allows for school planning to be driven by a focus on the future of learning, while still supporting capital needs, growth, and other logistical considerations of school systems.
The SG team would like to thank the dedicated staff of A4LE for organizing this great event and to all who attended our session, and we look forward to attending another A4LE conference very soon!
The Association for Learning Environments (A4LE) is a professional non-profit association dedicated to improving the places where children learn. The A4LE Northeast Region consists of Chapters that service the Northeast Region of the United States as well as nearby Canadian Provinces. To learn more about the A4LE Northeast Region, please click here.
To learn more about SCHRADERGROUP’s commitment to design for education, please click here.
SCHRADERGROUP Attends Design Philadelphia’s Kickoff Party
Members of the SCHRADERGROUP (SG) team recently attended the Kickoff Party for Design Philadelphia on Wednesday, October 6th at Philly’s Cherry Street Pier. The Kickoff Party gave attendees a first live look at the interactive installations and exhibitions that filled the pier throughout the Design Philadelphia Festival that lasted from October 6th through to October 17th.
SG team members Paige Geldrich, Jillian Kreglow, and Brianna Smith attended the Kickoff Party that began the 10-day festival. The festival is produced by the Center of Architecture and Design and highlights Philadelphia as a hub for design excellence. The event supports economic opportunities for local designers and demonstrates to the public the impact design has on our everyday lives.
SG was proud to be a “Design Advocate” for the Kickoff Party, joining others who donated not only to support the Center for Architecture and Design, but to also help bring equity, diversity, and inclusion in design education to the school children of Philadelphia’s public schools.
Design Philadelphia’s mission is to make Philadelphia a hub for design excellence, to support economic opportunities for local designers, and to demonstrate to the public the impact design has on our everyday lives. Learn more about this organization and event, click here.
To learn more about SG and the work that we do supporting academic, public safety, and mission critical facilities in Philadelphia and the surrounding area, click here.
SCHRADERGROUP Welcomes a New Structural Engineer to the Team!
SCHRADERGROUP (SG) is thrilled to announce the newest member to join our team! Please help us welcome Structural Engineer Hugo Li, PE!
Hugo Li, PE
Structural Engineer
Pennsylvania State University – Bachelor of Architectural Engineering + Integrated Master of Architectural Engineering
Hugo is a Pennsylvania State University graduate with an integrated bachelor’s and master’s degree in Architectural Engineering. As a registered engineer with over ten years of experience in structural engineering, Hugo has the ability to lead the design process from start to finish, can handle multiple designs at once, and can set priorities and establish deadlines in order to successfully manage complex projects.
Hugo’s comprehensive code knowledge, expertise in structural forensics, and impressive structural engineering software abilities allow him to develop complex details and drawings. His interpersonal skills working with clients and consultants, combined with his excellent writing and verbal skills, give him the ability to work through all phases of a project while establishing effective working relationships with clients and consultants.
Hugo is passionate about working on interesting projects and looks forward to working with the team using the creative problem solving we at SCHRADERGROUP are known for. Looking to the future, Hugo hopes to grow the engineering sector in our Philadelphia office and hopes to manage a team of engineers one day. In his free time, Hugo enjoys solving puzzles, playing chess, listening to music, and building various things such as furniture and computers.
Welcome Hugo! We are thrilled to have you join the SG team! We look forward to a future of successful projects, and growth both professionally and personally!
Interested in working with us? Visit our Careers page to see what opportunities are available at SG here.