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Best of 2006 Awards
Dwight-Englewood School Klein Campus Center Project
AWARD OF MERIT: Schools Pre-K to 12
PHOTO BY RUGGERO VANNI |
The Dwight-Englewood School in Englewood, N.J., set out to build a facility that would connect two existing structures on campus to allow its 950 students to move through the buildings in a safe and expedient manner.
But the 40,000-sq.-ft. building also serves as a prime gathering space with a new, modern 250-seat auditorium and theater.
In January, the private day school unveiled its Klein Campus Center, which provides faculty and students in kindergarten through the 12th grade with a useful conduit as well as additional rooms for multiple activities.
The center houses a grand foyer leading to the auditorium and theater as well as six music practice rooms. It has also doubled the size of the chorus and orchestra practice areas. Air-conditioning in the spaces, meanwhile, extends the school’s access to these amenities during the summer.
The team added two levels of hallways, enabling students to travel indoors from the school library to the existing Leggett Hall. The center also adds 10 large general classrooms, study areas, and new spaces for the school’s co-op and bookstore, making it the true hub of the campus.
The exterior consists of split-faced block and new curtain wall for the perimeter of the building, with mechanical systems placed on the roof. But the $13 million project put a premium on making the interior spaces both functional and appealing.
“I liked the way they organized their spaces,” one jury member said. “They made a good judgment in putting more effort and dollars into how the interiors came out.”
While excavating for footings and pouring foundations to support the steel structure, the project team encountered rocks, whose removal required a special excavator fitted with a hydraulic hammer. This work had to be done during the day and on overtime in order to keep to the schedule.
The team had to open connections for a second-floor bridge that would link the new facility to the older structures. With the existing buildings remaining open during the construction effort, the project team avoided disturbing school functions by ensuring that no noisy work took place during special events such as testing and performances. It also scheduled material deliveries to avoid student drop-off and pick-up times.
With the help of campus security, the construction team directed student traffic away from work areas with extra signage, temporary walkways, and fencing. The team also stripped and graveled-over a playing field in order to support a construction area and provide parking for the workers.
Key Players
Owner: Dwight-Englewood School
General Contractor: Structure Tone
Architect: Richard Dattner Partners
Owner’s Representative: Metropolitan Planning & Management
Structural Engineer: Severud Associates Consulting Engineers
Civil Engineer: Boswell Engineering
Mechanical-Electrical Engineer: Robert Derector Associates
Steel Contractor: Weir Welding
Concrete Contractor: M&R European Construction
Plumbing: Oliver Drake
Excavation-Site Work: Wiggers Contractors |
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