K14 Education | MCK Associates

Hazleton Area Elementary/Middle School

Jun 10, 2019 | Historic Preservation, K14 Education, Kristen McKissick, Vern McKissick, MCK Architecture, Addition, Renovation

Capacity:	1106

New Construction:	10,722 SF
Renovated:	128,582 SF
Total:	139,304 SF

As part of a comprehensive facilities evaluation for this district, rehabilitation of this former high school (abandoned for more than 10 years) was identified as an expedient and cost-effective option to address rapid student population growth. From the project’s inception, a construction manager was retained to facilitate the fast-track design and construction process. Both before and after bid, extensive value-engineering exercises were undertaken to adjust for discovered conditions and for comprehensive depth in project scope. Subsequently, change orders actually decreased the overall anticipated project cost. Classrooms were enlarged to accommodate modern standards for room sizes as well as to incorporate new technologies. The school's lower level swimming pool was renovated into a cafeteria and kitchen space. Many of the buildings original features were damaged or destroyed during the years while the building remained vacant, including the two towers on either side of the main entrance, which were restored.

Impassioned by both the arts and restoration, McKissick Architecture rallied the local community (who beloved the old building), resulting in a surge of support by residents. Our firm then led the effort to establish a non-profit partnership with several arts organizations to restore the school’s 1,450-seat balconied theatre to its former glory. The proscenium’s gold leaf border was restored and grand Austrian curtain replaced. New seating, theatrical lighting, audio/video equipment, and stage rigging, completed the modernizations of the community’s performing arts center. Named the “Alice Wiltsie Performing Arts Center” within the Hazleton “Castle” School, the inaugural performance hosted iconic band, “Chicago.”

Shikellamy Middle School

Jun 10, 2019 | K14 Education, Ben Crum, Vern McKissick, MCK Architecture, McKissick Associates, All New Construction

New Construction:	94,580 SF

The project required McKissick Associates to design a program for a new Middle School facility to relieve overcrowding of other school buildings. After an extensive evaluation of multiple options, the decision was reached to construct the building on the site of the abandoned two-story 62,000 SF C.W. Rice Middle School, closed and decommissioned in 2011. The new middle school was designed to provide three learning communities each containing two teaching teams aligned along a shared core. The site design includes modular wall systems to permit the provision of two competition sports fields on this sloping 8.8 acre site while preserving space for future expansion of 300 pupils. The community's limited finances dictated that the new building be as cost effective and durable as possible. In meeting this goal, McKissick Associates incorporated a number of sustainable building strategies into the design of the 3-story building: earth berming; a structural system utilizing super insulated ICF (insulated concrete form) with plank construction; and rain gardens with underground storm water infiltration. The look and feel of the finished building harmonizes with the architecture and aesthetics of the town by incorporating exterior brick, engineered wood plank siding and a high slope metal roofing system. Operational costs are further minimized through the use of high performance heating and cooling systems with 100% energy recovery. Shikellamy Middle School represents the first Pennsylvania school to use 100% LED interior and exterior lighting systems.

Manoa Elementary School

Jun 7, 2019 | K14 Education, Kristen McKissick, Trina Gribble, Vern McKissick, MCK Architecture, All New Construction

Institution:
Capacity:	850

New Construction:	85,355 SF

This school (designed for students K-5) is located in an affluent suburb of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. With limited open space in this Philadelphia streetcar suburb the only available site was 3.1 acres of a 10-acre community sports complex. The building and site circulation pattern is intentionally compact to maximize the amount of athletic field space that will remain available to the community for sports including lacrosse, soccer, field hockey and football. This necessitated a three-story building plan, the use of subsurface storm water detention, as well as, the hard surface playground for event overflow parking. A sub divisible gymnasium room, cafeteria, two music rooms, art room, and fourteen flexible learning spaces provide support for the District's enrichment and special needs programs. Spatial efficiency is maximized through dual-use of cafeteria as both stage and sub divisible large group instructional area. A reinforced masonry bearing and precast concrete plank structural system was utilized for the classroom wing to substantially reduce construction time and permit the overall height of the building to be limited to 30-feet to meet local zoning requirements. To further reduce the buildings apparent mass within the residential neighborhood, the exterior skin utilizes a mixture of reflective zinc colored metal panels, allowing the three-story building and gymnasium wing to assume the color of the surrounding environment. Internally, the building features an integrated data fiber optic backbone with wireless networking and a complete modern voice over IP communication system. In additional to portable wireless labs, each classroom has four computers, a mounted LCD projector, as well as a smart board. Green components of the building are cost-effective and protective of the environment. Sustainable features include insulated glass windows and doors, lighting occupancy sensors, high efficiency indirect/direct lighting and day lighting. The acid-etched and sealed concrete floor (in circulation areas) require minimal maintenance while avoiding the use of manmade products.

Williamsport Area Senior High School

Jun 4, 2019 | K14 Education, Carl Kanaskie, Kristen McKissick, Vern McKissick, MCK Architecture, Addition, Renovation

Capacity:	2780

Renovated:	513,103 SF

The transformation of Williamsport Area High School included a mixture of educational enhancements, deferred maintenance, and energy saving upgrades. Prioritized upgrades throughout the Facility were made possible with QSCB Funding. The facility was state-of-the-art when it opened in 1972, with the 1999 addition of a Vocational Technical wing, by Vern McKissick, a key feature to enhance its 21st century education pedagogy. The facility was originally built for a student capacity of nearly 3,000 pupils but the student population had dwindled to around 1,600. Educational and curriculum upgrades were undertaken to maximize the building’s classroom usage. The District’s budget constraints had led to an outdated facility in need of maintenance and upgrades, which had multiplied over the years. In the summer of 2011, the WASD Board was advised that the application materials prepared and submitted by McKissick Associates Architects to the PA Department of Education led to an award of $35.3 million of low interest QSCB funding. Therefore, the project provided the District in excess of $17,000,000 in interest savings over the life of the bond issue compared to traditional financing sources. The District then retained McKissick Associates as the design professional for the project. Vern McKissick had worked with the District on over 30 projects since 1989, including three District-wide feasibility studies. Prior evaluations revealed the total cost upgrades required at the building were in the range of $63.5 million. With that in mind, McKissick Architects crafted a carefully balanced project, composed of two project phases: the initial PlanCon/ESCO hybrid project (completed in 2014, it fell within the three year window required by the federal stimulus program), and the second phase to be undertaken in 2019-20 when preexisting School District debt will have been paid down, making funds available to complete the remaining portions of the project.

Windber Area Middle and High School

Jun 4, 2019 | K14 Education, Kristen McKissick, Trina Gribble, Vern McKissick, MCK Architecture, Addition, Demolition, Renovation

completed:	2016

Capacity:	899

New Construction:	31,821 SF
Renovated:	98,500 SF
Total:	120,650 SF

Although the Windber Area School District experienced a significant decline in student enrollment (of nearly 70%), at the same time, the aging school facility could no longer meet the educational goals of the District. McKissick Architects developed a strategy to alleviate the District's excess-outdated space by demolition, renovation, and addition. The design was a challenge amid the structure’s tight in-town location/site footprint. Nearly 50% of the original structure was demolished, allowing for site improvement. The site design reconfiguration improves the school’s access and safety, with a new bus loop separate from the automobile circulation lanes, and the addition of 112 parking spaces. The construction of the single two-story addition features pertinent areas, anchored by the Knowledge Commons. This anchor space, which adjoins the Guidance Office, the Library, Administration, Faculty Planning, Dining, and Small Group Study spaces, represents a collaborative area at the heart of the school. Other renovations include the conversion of a former locker room into an 8,300 square foot multi-lab STEM Center, and relocating the District Administration offices to one wing of the building.

Mifflin County Indian Valley Elementary

Jun 4, 2019 | K14 Education, Vern McKissick, MCK Architecture, Renovation

Capacity:	875

This project consisted of renovations to convert a former Junior/Senior High School (Kishacoquillis High School) constructed in 1952 into a K-5 elementary center. The building has a capacity of 875 pupils, and was internally reconfigured into two independent schools: a K-3 primary; and 4-5 intermediate elementary.

Former industrial arts shops were converted into an early childhood education center, with additional internal reconfiguration to convert other secondary specialty spaces such as science labs, business labs, locker rooms, etc., into elementary classrooms. Undertaken with limited funding, the project was structured to maximize state PlanCon Aid, with over 50% of the projects cost being provided by the State of Pennsylvania. A design led ESCO project, as envisioned by McKissick Associates, provided $2.1 million in additional funding.

Architectural renovations included asbestos abatement, roof replacement (white EPDM roofing), window replacement, ADA accessibility including new elevator, reconstruction of kitchen and food services areas, relocation of administration offices, and an adjacent health suite. Mechanical renovations included conversion of the building from oil fired steam to propane fired condensing boilers, hot water heating with fan coil classroom units, and rooftop energy recovery ventilation equipment. A partial lighting replacement also occurred as part of the overall energy savings package.

Westmont Jr/Sr High School

May 16, 2019 | K14 Education, Kristen McKissick, Trina Gribble, Vern McKissick, MCK Architecture, McKissick Associates, Addition, Renovation

Enrollment:	1108

New Construction:	36,510 SF

The Westmont Hilltop High School serves not only as an educational institution but as a touchstone for the community. The public has long embraced the school's identity as an extension of the broader community of Westmont Hilltop. The school's auditorium, blackbox theatre, knowledge commons and even STEAM gallery are widely used for community events. For the students, the commons area is particularly central to daily social interaction for dining, study and project collaboration while the new STEAM center offers progressive 21st century curriculum alternatives that relate advanced learning to practical applications. Just inside the primary student and public entrance, the knowledge commons (amid its unique hexagon carpet tiles of bold reds, greys and blacks) promotes school spirit and solidarity through color identity. This bright and welcoming focal point of school and community activity presents an environment that is exciting and progressive. While the large open knowledge commons serves as a unified student dining area during lunch, the use of color, patterns, and a variety of furnishing types, creates smaller zones within the space that enable socialization and study simultaneously throughout the day. Proximity and visibility of the commons space to both guidance and administration allow passive supervision in support of the all-day use profile. The vibrant colors of the STEAM center generate an energetic, creative atmosphere akin to a collegiate environment. Science labs, maker spaces, innovation labs and art studios surround a central STEAM gallery where students display their work and gather for critique or discussion. Flexible furnishings in the adjoining common study lab support multiple learning styles and student projects in a space that is conducive to both independent study and collaboration. The STEAM program and its welcoming environment introduces Westmont-Hilltop's students to collegiate-style learning where students can see themselves embracing a future that includes higher education.

Williamsport Area Middle School

May 16, 2019 | K14 Education, Kristen McKissick, Trina Gribble, Vern McKissick, MCK Architecture, McKissick Associates, Addition, Demolition, Renovation

Enrollment:	1398

New Construction:	94,000 SF
Renovated:	94,000 SF
Total:	188,000 SF

Initially slated for demolition, this reconstructed and expanded facility has earned a LEED™ Silver rating. Originally constructed in 1951, the school was unique for its poured in place concrete construction of walls, floors, and roofing. Designed to support the 1940s view of junior high school instruction, the inflexible environment was an obstruction to modern middle school programming. A new rear classroom portion of the building was constructed to provide advanced science classrooms, teaching and athletic support space. The configuration now allows teaching team separation of grade level instruction. Contributions to the sustainable character of the facility include upgrades to the exterior building envelope, replacing the existing window units with triple glazed window/curtain wall assemblies, LED lighting, and the installation of energy-recovery ventilation coupled to a ground source geothermal heat pump HVAC system, with a total of 175 400’ deep-closed loop wells.

Caldwell County Granite Falls Middle School

Apr 29, 2019 | K14 Education, Kristen McKissick, Vern McKissick, Wayne Roberts, MCK Architecture, Addition, Demolition, Renovation

Site Coverage:	100481 SF

Institution:
Capacity:	825

New Construction:	53,882 SF
Renovated:	46,599 SF
Total:	100,481 SF

The historic, yet aged, Granite Falls Middle School, fully integrated into the local neighborhood and beloved by its community, could no longer keep pace with the needs of a 21st century education. A strategy and design were developed by McKissick Architects to replace parts of the school, renovate, update, and adapt other areas while maintaining particular historic areas, such as the free-standing auditorium and gymnasium buildings, which will be restored yet equipped with modern upgrades. The phased plan enables continued use of the site, as well as reduces the cost of construction, bringing the project scope within the county's budget. The skeleton of the original 1930s school will remain; however, the interior will be entirely reconfigured as the “Technotorium,” a project-based learning center with studies to include robotics, programming, electronics, hydroponics, among other standard STEM offerings. A focal point of the design is the 230-year-old historic white oak where generations of students have rested under its branches. Not only will the tree be maintained, additional precautions are being undertaken to ensure that the tree will both survive and thrive throughout the construction, far into the future.

White Oaks Elementary School

Apr 28, 2019 | K14 Education, Bob Oettl, Vern McKissick, MCK Stanmyre Architects, Addition, Renewal

completed:	2019

Grades:	K-6
Institution:
Capacity:	901

New Construction:	24,420 SF
Renovated:	70,966 SF
Total:	95,386 SF

The renewal of White Oaks Elementary School is a complete renovation of the existing school facility and the addition of 21,000 SF of classroom space. This multi-phase project consists of 4 phases executed over 2.5 years of construction. Renovations include MEP/FP upgrades, doors, windows, interior finishes, renovation of the gym and a kitchen renovation. Site circulation has been carefully improved, including the addition of new parking and play fields. The creation of a “Kiss-n-Ride” canopy serves to signal entry. Widened drop off lanes and bus drop off areas improve the safety of students, families, and faculty when entering and leaving the school. An interior courtyard has been built and gives exterior access to the art room. Administration offices are receiving a complete renovation and expansion. The newly renovated library will convert the space into a more open plan and encourage student collaboration.

Conover School for Exceptional Children

Apr 26, 2019 | Education, K14 Education, Kristen McKissick, Vern McKissick, Wayne Roberts, MCK Architecture, Addition, Renovation

completed:	2019
currently:	under construction

Grades:	Pre-K - Adult
Institution:
Capacity:	180

New Construction:	7,000 SF
Renovated:	32,000 SF
Total:	39,000 SF

The Conover School, a public separate school (serving three school systems) for students with exceptional needs and disabilities, under the administration of the Newton-Conover City School System, is located in Conover, North Carolina. Enrollment includes about 100 profoundly affected students (ranging in age from 3 to 21, with over 50% wheelchair bound) who are divided among fourteen homerooms. A new addition expands the cafeteria, food service and kitchen areas, and provides a new gymnasium. Renovations included an expanded life skills area, improved corridor access, and expanded special mobility-equipment storage, so this aging school could better accommodate the Districts' most exceptional students.

Westmont Hilltop Elementary School

Apr 21, 2019 | K14 Education, Kristen McKissick, Vern McKissick, MCK Architecture, All New Construction, Demolition

completed:	2017

Grades:	K-6
Institution:
Capacity:	900

New Construction:	61,450 SF
Renovated:	33,320 SF
Total:	94,770 SF

The new Westmont Hilltop Elementary School was the outcome of a prior district-wide optimization plan that called for the realignment of the district’s grade-level structure. The resulting new school is located on the site of the former Westmont Hilltop Middle School which was demolished as part of the project. The available area for the new building was extremely limited as the site also houses the high school sports field/track complex. Substantial site reconfiguration was needed to better accommodate separation between cars, buses, and pedestrians.
Located in the historic district of Luzerne Street (a nationally registered streetscape) a careful selection of materials including stone, cement board clapboard, brick, and metal panels harmonizes the neighborhood's vernacular. The resulting solution entails construction of a high performance 3-story ICF (Insulated Concrete Form) classroom building. The building is functionally configured by floor into three schools: kindergarten, grades 1 to 3, and then grades 4 to 6. Upper level classrooms “paired” by subject matter, science and math, and then, English and social studies. To contain costs, the gymnasium wing of the former middle school was retained and incorporated into the new bThe new Westmont Hilltop Elementary School was the outcome of a prior district-wide optimization plan that called for the realignment of the district’s grade-level structure. The resulting new school is located on the site of the former Westmont Hilltop Middle School which was demolished as part of the project. The available area for the new building was extremely limited as the site also houses the high school sports field/track complex. Substantial site reconfiguration was needed to better accommodate separation between cars, buses, and pedestrians.

Located in the historic district of Luzerne Street (a national registry of historic streetscapes), a careful selection of materials including stone, cement board clapboard, brick, and metal panels harmonizes the neighborhood's vernacular. The resulting solution entails construction of a high performance 3-story ICF (Insulated Concrete Form) classroom building. The building is functionally configured by floor into three schools: kindergarten, grades 1 to 3, and then grades 4 to 6. Upper level classrooms were “paired” by subject matter, science and math, and then, English and social studies. To contain costs, the gymnasium wing of the former middle school was retained and incorporated into the new building. The gymnasium itself now houses a smaller gym, performance stage, cafeteria, kitchen, and updated locker rooms. Former shop areas (from the 1977 metal building structure) made way for a new STEM Learning Center, including a vocal and instrumental music suite, computer labs, art, and library space.

Reading “Castle” Intermediate High School

Apr 10, 2019 | K14 Education, Carl Kanaskie, Kristen McKissick, Vern McKissick, MCK Architecture, Addition, Demolition, Renewal, Renovation

Grades:	9-10
Institution:
Capacity:	3100

New Construction:	122,187 SF
Renovated:	189,176 SF
Total:	311,363 SF

McKissick Associates was asked to review the reuse of this functioning hospital following the Catholic Church’s decision to construct a replacement building. McKissick developed a plan that entailed a phased public-private partnership for the conversion of the building into a magnet school. The urban 8.3-acre St. Joseph’s site was completely transformed through the demolition of 250,000 SF. Original walls (including a four-story high stone chapel, a bell tower and 30” thick stone walls) were incorporated as exterior elements in the new additions. Existing hospital areas were converted to classroom use, while more than 122,187 SF of new construction accommodates large group instruction areas, a cafeteria, food service area, a kitchen, locker rooms, a gymnasium, band/choral rooms, a black box theatre, and an internet café. Waste material from demolition was used to create a hillside playing field.

The building was designed to create a small supportive learning environment. Construction of an additional story, above an existing building, houses four standalone (grades 9-10) school programs arranged around the District’s newly developed magnet programs: Arts and Humanities, International Business, Technology, and Agriculture Ecology and Science. Each of the four 600 student schools-within-a-school were arranged to be self-contained. Taking advantage of the natural slope (over 160-foot drop over a three-block distance), no student must move more than two stories to reach their respective core educational facilities.

Summerfield Elementary School

Apr 3, 2019 | K14 Education, Ben Crum, Carl Kanaskie, Kristen McKissick, Vern McKissick, MCK Architecture, Addition, Demolition, Renovation

Grades:	K-5
Institution:
Capacity:	700
Core Capacity:	850

New Construction:	52,400 SF
Renovated:	42,000 SF
Total:	94,400 SF

Summerfield Elementary School had consisted of 21 different buildings constructed between 1940 and 1985 including 14 modular classrooms. Not only does this 8.8-acre site lie within the town of Summerfield’s historic overlay district, but one of the site buildings (which also serves as the community gymnasium) was a treasured historic structure. The site was challenging, bisected by a high tension 14.4 KVA power company line, and seven septic drain fields which could not be disturbed, two community baseball fields, an inactive AMTRAK right-of-way, a Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) memorial, and was the site of a Revolutionary War battle. It turned out that the site’s most buildable area also hosted an elevated water tower. Unlike prior building projects, this project was envisioned as a total reconstruction of the site. The solution to maximizing the buildable area was a two-story classroom wing with the creation of an internal kindergarten play courtyard. Extensive green features have been utilized in the design, driven by necessity as much as responsibility. The building itself is primarily ICF (insulated concrete form) construction in order to create a high-performing envelope. This method of construction also allows for a faster-paced construction schedule.

The Centrum

This wide lobby is the intersection of the two large public spaces: the cafeteria and library, and accommodates the high traffic of lunch changes and assemblies. The window seating bench allows this space to be used as a teaching area. The floor map fills a 27′ diameter circle where the main corridor’s gathering area looks into the kindergarten courtyard at the entrance to the cafeteria and the library. The blue circle above represents the dome of the sky.

The World from Summerfield...

This junction is also home to the school’s map of the world as centered on Summerfield, North Carolina which is identified by the red star. The map is a custom waterjet pattern using vinyl enhanced floor tile. This map may look a bit unusual because it was created from an equidistant azimuthal projection. That means that distances can be measured on a uniform scale from the center of the map to any other point along the radius.

It's a small world afterall...

This type of map is similar to great circle maps which are typically drawn looking down on the poles or from a point on the equator. This map differs in that the exact center of the map is the Summerfield Elementary School. Cities can be located on the map by calculating their distance from Summerfield, NC and locating them along the appropriate bearing. The map is oriented by the compass so that “north” on the map points north.

The floor map can be used as a tool for mathematics, geography, geometry and social studies.

Azimuthal equidistant what?

The floor map is designed so that places within 5,000 miles of Summerfield can be located on the map using a common scale when measured from Summerfield (at the center). This is called an “azimuthal equidistant projection”.

On this map, 21’ is equal to about 10,000 miles, so the scale factor is 1 foot = 477.213 miles. You can determine how far away a place is and its bearing (by using geometry or one of the many online resources) and then locate it on the map.

The Map Chain

Our interior designer (who has a great fondness for maps) created this map chain in order to illustrate how the map works. By placing the red star at the one end of the chain over the red star at the map center and extending the chain to the outside of the circle (as an airplane might fly), a number of cities can be seen according to their proximity to Summerfield. Each city tag has a bearing listed, so if the chain is aligned along the bearing angle, the city can be located on the floor map.

The chain itself has a marking at each foot (1 through 11) to assist in adding other cities to the chain in the future. Several other charms mark the chain as well. The globe marks the geographic north pole. The magnetic north pole is marked by a locket so that as the pole migrates, the information inside can be updated. The chain also has a working watch charm which is located at Greenwich, England, UK. It has been set for Greenwich Mean Time (or Zulu time).

Which way from here?

Distances were calculated using the website:http://distancecalculator.globefeed.com/World_Distance_Calculator.asp

CPI SciTech New Health Sciences Building

Mar 16, 2019 | K14 Education, Trina Gribble, Vern McKissick, MCK Architecture, All New Construction

completed:	2020
currently:	design development

Grades:	13-14
Institution:

New Construction:	45,800 SF

The Central Pennsylvania Institute of Science and Technology is a major source of technical training in Centre County and the surrounding areas. What started as a vocational-technical school in the 1960s has grown to offer 18 secondary programs, over 60 in-house adult and continuing education programs, and over 350 online courses. The new Health Sciences Building is being constructed to accommodate the growth of healthcare-related specialties and the additional programming in healthcare management, medical assistance, LPN/RN, nurses aid, surgical technology, occupational therapy, and physical therapy.

The sustainable design includes a three-story structure to include two stories of academic areas (labs, classrooms, technology spaces), as well as autonomous facilities and entrances (on the ground floor) for professional suites, labs, and offices of third-party healthcare partners. This allows autonomy of academic and professional space while providing students an opportunity for hands-on experience in a true professional setting. By combining extensive academics with hands-on technical training, graduates will leave CPI with high levels of competency in their field. Additionally, the new facility will serve as a new campus hub for student life as the school continues to add programming and increase its post-secondary degree offerings.