Members of the district community joined students, representatives of the Orange Public Schools Board of Education and New Jersey School Development Authority (NJSDA), EPIC Management, Terminal Construction Corporation, the Mayor of Orange Township, and project architect LAN Associates to celebrate the ribbon cutting for a new addition and alterations and renovations to the Cleveland Street School in Orange, New Jersey.
The New Jersey School Development Authority (NJSDA) retained LAN Associates as the design consultant for the project, which includes the new 11,500-square-foot addition and several major alterations and renovations to the existing 38,775-square-foot facility. In addition to providing the architectural design, LAN provided MEP engineering, civil engineering, construction administration, and environmental services for the project.
The event kicked off with a lively performance by the Mighty Marching Tornadoes Band and a presentation of colors by the Color Guard and the Orange High School Navy JROTC Cadets. The Master of Ceremonies, School Business Administrator Jason E. Ballard, then introduced a number of speakers, including the Mayor of Orange Township, Dwayne Warren, the CEO of the NJ School Development Authority, Manuel Da Silva, several members of the school board, and a few teachers with long histories working at the school.
The historic Cleveland Street School building is over 100 years old, so careful design considerations were made regarding the aesthetic of the addition. This included careful material selections to ensure any new construction was seamlessly integrated with the existing 1920s building. This was especially true with the restoration of the existing brick masonry façade and the design of the new main entrance.
“Working alongside the Orange Board of Education and the NJSDA to provide meaningful facility upgrades for the students of the Cleveland Street School has been both a challenge and a pleasure,” said lead architect Ron Schwenke. “The over 100-year-old building represents a proud history for the district, and LAN was happy to play a role in shaping the next chapter of the historic school.”
The existing ground floor received extensive alterations aimed at supporting improvements to the school’s curriculum with new spaces, including an art/science lab, music room, media center, and computer lab. Additional spaces created within the existing building are new district administrative offices, a nurse’s suite, an emergency control center, modern classrooms, and accessible restrooms. To ensure the building was accessible on all levels, the new one-story addition includes a multipurpose room with a stage, a prep kitchen, a main entrance, lobby, and a three-story link with an egress stair and four-stop elevator.
The first-floor upgrades include eight new classrooms, two small group instruction spaces, and an incidental support space. The new Pre-K classrooms were designed to accommodate a variety of learning modalities and simultaneously handle multiple class activities. To achieve this goal, the design team incorporated breakout spaces, flexible furniture, and activity zones.
The entire building received new HVAC and building systems upgrades, new interior finishes, ceilings, lighting, fire alarm, and fire suppression systems. In addition, the site is enhanced with a new outdoor playground and other accessibility improvements. The building is LEED Certified and incorporates energy-efficient and renewable resources, as well as the latest in building security.
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