Back To School 2024

Projects In Design and Under Construction Focus on Expanding Capacity, Wellness, and Specialty Spaces

K-12 educational facility design is LAN’s largest area of concentration. Our team of architects, engineers, surveyors, and environmental and land use professionals have decades of experience working with school districts to design spaces that inspire students and help expand and support curriculum goals. As a new school year is here, we welcome you to LAN’s annual Back to School update.

Ho-Ho-Kus Public School Opens Doors of New Duffield Hall Addition

LAN Associates and The Ho-Ho-Kus School just celebrated the opening of Duffield Hall. This new athletic and wellness focused addition was funded by a generous $10M donation from David Duffield, who graduated from the school in 1954. The 14,000 sf space includes a new gymnasium, new bathrooms and locker rooms, a new health classroom, and a wellness center with space for dance, yoga, and mindfulness lessons. The project was designed by LAN Associates and was built by Donnelly Construction.        

The wellness center is a flexible space that allows for various lesson plans and activities. It has a distinct design that includes a large green ribbon like ceiling and a mirrored wall with a bar for ballet lessons and sliding whiteboard doors for writable space. Designed to focus on childhood development and improving physical and mental health in students, the wellness center uses biophilic design elements that take advantage of stress reducing nature inspired themes. The space also includes an interactive display and large glazed windows that provide a view into the new outdoor learning space.    

The new gymnasium emphasizes the school’s brand and an energetic atmosphere. Wrapped by a continuous ribbon pattern, the physical education space integrates the school’s logo, colors, and mantra for a space that truly represents the Ho-Ho-Kus Community.

Cleveland Elementary School Completes Major Addition and Renovations

The New Jersey School Development Authority (NJSDA) retained LAN to design an addition and alterations to the Cleveland Street Elementary School in Orange, New Jersey. The 11,500 sf addition includes a new main entrance, multipurpose room with stage, prep kitchen, three story link with a four stop elevator, and toilet rooms on all three floors.  The existing building’s ground floor also underwent extensive renovations to accommodate new administrative offices, a nurse’s suite, an emergency control center, and curriculum spaces, including an art/science lab, a music room, a media center, and a computer lab. On the first floor, the new spaces include eight classrooms, two small group instruction spaces, and incidental support space.  

The entire building received new HVAC and building systems and is LEED Certified, incorporating energy efficient and renewable resources. The project also includes a new playground and the latest in building security, including video surveillance, motion and glass break detection, and door position sensors/alarms.

The existing 1920s building has a unique historical look, and the project included the restoration of the existing masonry façade and the installation of new interior finishes, ceilings, lighting, fire alarms, and fire suppression systems. Careful design consideration was made regarding the addition’s aesthetic and exterior material selections to ensure it was seamlessly integrated with the historic features of the existing facility.

Willingboro Invests in Athletics Facility Improvements

LAN Associates provided architecture, land use, surveying, and civil, mechanical, electrical, and plumbing engineering services to transform Willingboro, New Jersey’s High School athletic complex. The project aims to improve both field playability and the spectator experience. To that end, the scope of work included replacing the synthetic track surface, replacing the athletic field lights with energy efficient LED lighting on emergency power, and upgrading the existing multipurpose grass field to a turf playing surface with improved sub-surface drainage system. The existing scoreboard was also replaced with a state-of-the-art LED screen and enhanced communications infrastructure.

The project also includes demolishing the existing field house/concession stand and relocating the facility to be adjacent to the High School building. This will not only allow the district to provide a new concession stand with commercial cooking and exhaust system but also more accessible storage spaces and restroom facilities. Construction of the field house is still underway.

The existing athletic complex faced various restrictions on development due to its proximity to Rancocas Creek in Willingboro. This required LAN’s internal civil and land use teams to take the lead on an investigation into the wetlands and flood hazard areas and other regulations that could impact development. The team then submitted the necessary applications to the NJDEP and Soil Conservation District for approval, permitting the owner to advance these amenities for their student athletes.

LAN and The New Jersey Clean Energy Program Help Multiple Schools Upgrade HVAC Systems

Oakland
Public Schools

LAN was able to help Oakland, New Jersey, take advantage of The School and Small Business Ventilation and Energy Efficiency Verification and Repair Program to upgrade building systems at four schools. This included a grant that enabled the district to upgrade all HVAC systems serving classroom spaces at Dogwood Hill, Valley, Manito, and Heights Schools. Classroom HVAC replacements and upgrades included unit ventilators with hot water heating, DX cooling, MERV-13 filters, CO2 sensors, and control systems.   

North Haledon
School District

As part of the New Jersey Clean Energy Program, two schools in North Haledon, New Jersey, were part of the School and Small Business Ventilation and Energy Efficiency Verification and Repair Program. This included a grant to the school district to upgrade all HVAC systems serving classroom spaces at High Mountain and Memorial Schools. Classroom HVAC replacements and upgrades included split air handling and rooftop units complete with hot water or gas heating, DX cooling, MERV-13 filters, CO2 sensors, and controls.

Plainfield
Public Schools

As part of the New Jersey Clean Energy Program, LAN worked on two schools in Plainfield, New Jersey, which were part of the School and Small Business Ventilation and Energy Efficiency Verification and Repair Program. The grant for this school district helped upgrade all HVAC systems serving classroom spaces at both Frank J. Hubbard and Maxson Middle School. Classroom HVAC replacements and upgrades included split air handling units and hot water heating, MERV-13 filters, CO2 sensors, and controls. DX cooling was also included in future air conditioning projects.

Maywood Referendum Modernizes and Expands Nearly 100-Year-Old Schools

As part of a $22M referendum passed by Maywood, New Jersey, in 2023, LAN provided architecture, construction administration, and mechanical, electrical, and plumbing engineering services for several projects currently under construction at the borough’s schools.  The referendum aimed to upgrade and modernize the Memorial School and the Maywood Avenue School.

To accommodate a growing student population, a six classroom addition was designed at the Memorial School. It surrounds a courtyard and will create 8,000 sf of new educational space. The addition will blend in seamlessly with the existing school, utilizing a similar type of brick and design layout.

At the Maywood Avenue School, an existing science lab will be converted into a new STEM Lab/Makerspace that will allow students to work on hands-on technical projects.

The remainder of the referendum focuses on providing capital improvements to the same schools, which are both nearly 100 years old. Both schools will have their roofs replaced, receive upgraded HVAC systems, and have obsolete fire alarm systems replaced.

LAN’s Civil Engineering Team’s Role in the Maywood Bond Referendum

As part of Maywood’s bond referendum, LAN’s civil engineering department designed a new stormwater management system. It collects water through a total of four grated inlets, and new conveyance storm piping directs the flow from these inlets to a new subsurface chamber system, which stores the runoff and ties the infrastructure to the existing stormwater inlets on site.

The use of this subsurface chamber system in the stormwater management system incorporates NJDEP Green Infrastructure criteria into the design. The underground chambers function as a dry well that stores the runoff, which then infiltrates into the subsoil. This not only allows for the reduction in the volume of stormwater runoff to be achieved but also results in groundwater recharge.

The Moriah School Builds Gymnasium & Early Childhood Center Addition

LAN was retained by The Moriah School to provide design services for a significant addition aimed at improving the quality of life for students and staff and expanding the school’s facilities to meet increased capacity demands. The addition consists of an early childhood center and a gymnasium. The project required LAN to take advantage of our full-service capabilities to provide land use, surveying, architecture, and mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and civil engineering services.

The early childhood center will expand the number of children that can be taught at The Moriah School, adding 12 pre-k classrooms, each outfitted with a bathroom. The addition also includes a new lobby and office and two new conference rooms for the staff.

The new full sized gymnasium includes a regulation high school basketball court and bleachers that provide seating for up to 800 people. Bathrooms, locker rooms, and storage are also included in the design.

First Vote Referenda Passed in 2024

LAN is a leader in K-12 educational architecture and engineering with a long history of working with districts to plan, promote, and execute school bond referenda. In 2024 alone, LAN’s partnership approach to working with our school district clients led to the first vote passage of four school bond referenda.

Cranford, NJ

Upgrading facilities and bringing continuity to the different campuses around the district. Projects include capital improvements, four new kindergarten additions, STEAM labs, culinary labs, media centers, and other modern learning environments.

Mamaroneck, NY

Capital Improvements at all schools, new kitchens at two elementary schools, and cafeteria renovations at Hommocks Middle School and Murray Elementary School.

Port Jervis, NY

Roofing restoration at two schools, air conditioning at Hamilton Bicentennial Elementary School, and auditorium lighting upgrades at the High School.

Chester, NY

Districtwide security upgrades, including new secure entry vestibules at two schools, door hardware upgrades, emergency lockdown equipment, enhanced security glass film, and an emergency response and control center.

Recent Award Winning Projects

LAN’s work in educational facility design is consistently recognized by national publications that celebrate the work of architects and engineers, and we want to celebrate the projects that have won such awards over the last year. 

River Vale Wellness Center
River Vale Courtyard
The Forge at Florham Fark
The Forge at Florham Fark

LAN’s design of the Wellness addition at Holdrum Middle School in River Vale, New Jersey, was awarded the Special Citation Award by American School & University. The project includes a Wellness Center and accompanying Living Learning Courtyard. Biophilic design elements set the tone of the space, including large glass walls that provide ample natural light. Adaptability is at the forefront of the indoor space, which includes an operable partition that completely opens up, blending the indoor and outdoor spaces. The room was also designed to be easily rearranged to host everything from traditional lessons to yoga and community gatherings.

LAN’s design of The Forge at Ridgedale Middle School in Florham Park, New Jersey was awarded the Outstanding Design Award American School & University. The Forge is a cohesive center for the maker movement and robotics studies that renovated outdated programmatic space into a new robotics studio, STEAM Lab, and connecting foyer. The project was honored in the Technology and STEM Center category.  

What We Are Seeing Across All Our K-12 Educational Projects:

Over the last few years, we have seen a significant uptick in additions and renovations at schools across the tri-state area. As usual, some schools are expanding classroom space to accommodate increased enrollment, but just as often, new spaces are being built so that districts can offer students curriculum specific rooms like STEAM and culinary arts labs.

The trends in facility design also show that schools are investing in expanding efforts to improve students’ mental and physical health.  Dedicated wellness spaces and flexible classrooms that promote student gatherings are becoming increasingly prominent. Schools are adjusting to meet the demands of shifting education models and student needs, and they are investing in new spaces to help them make that change. 

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