Duffield Hall at The Ho-Ho-Kus School

When 1954 graduate of The Ho-Ho-Kus School, Dave Duffield, and his wife Cheryl donated $10M to his alma mater to construct a new addition, it presented a unique opportunity for the Ho-Ho-Kus School District. The Ho-Ho-Kus Board of Education has been a longtime client of LAN Associates, and as such, we worked side by side with the district to envision, design, and realize an addition focused on student wellness. Officially named Duffield Hall, the project includes a new entryway/lobby, gymnasium, flexible classroom, wellness center, and hallway.      

The spaces are designed to promote student wellness by providing rooms dedicated to physical and mental health, but the project as a whole does much more than that. Duffield Hall is a celebration of community pride.

In service of achieving the vision of the Duffield Foundation and the Ho-Ho-Kus Board of Education, LAN provided architecture, interior design, environmental, surveying, construction administration, and civil, mechanical, electrical, and plumbing engineering services to help design and construct the project.      

Students are welcomed into Duffield Hall through a new entryway and lobby with expansive windows and numerous personal touches designed to highlight the story behind the space. In the lobby, the wall to the right has plaques with images from the lives of Dave Duffield and his family. This sits above seating for students to relax, congregate, and socialize. The entryway has high ceilings with decorative flourishes, including hanging lights and moldings.

The hallways celebrate the Ho-Ho-Kus spirit with branded colors in a ribbon pattern design on the walls.  Display cases featuring various Ho-Ho-Kus memorabilia sit on one side, and three large vertical display screens on the other. The screens show the latest school news, weather updates, and other similar information that is updated periodically.

The wellness center at Duffield Hall is an adaptable room dedicated to enhancing students’ mental and physical well-being. The hardwood floors and customized green ribbon ceiling give the space a relaxing ambiance that is perfect for activities like dance, yoga, and mindfulness lessons. Large windows bring in ample natural light, while biophilic design elements harness the calming aesthetic of nature-inspired themes.  A mirrored wall with a bar is available for ballet lessons while sliding whiteboard doors provide writable space. In the center of the room is an interactive display that can be used to direct lessons.

Across from the wellness center is the new flexible classroom intended for health classes and various other lessons. The space is a modern, collaborative learning environment designed with warm wood tones. It is equipped with an interactive display board and offers ample storage with large sliding white doors that serve as whiteboards and wooden cubbies for additional space.

The new gymnasium at Duffield Hall was completely rebuilt at the site of the school’s old P.E. facility. The space features vibrant colors in a ribbon pattern that matches the school’s branding. In addition to prominent logo placement throughout the space, the school motto is displayed above the new pull-out bleachers. The gym has a full-sized basketball court equipped with professional-grade flooring and two scoreboards. The space also includes a state-of-the-art physical education gaming system that projects a screen on the wall in the center of the gym. It allows for customizable games that involve hitting a target on the display area with inflatable rubber balls. The space also includes revamped locker rooms and restrooms, which are complete with modern fixtures and storage space. The gymnasium at Duffield Hall is the perfect space for students to unite for classes, games, and school assemblies.

The architecture department at LAN led the project from conception to completion; this included the architectural and interior design elements of the entire addition, including the gymnasium, wellness center, classroom, and entryway/hallways. 

LAN’s civil department was responsible for the “in and out” of the building’s exterior. They made sure that utilities appropriately entered the building while stormwater worked its way out and into proper channels. Through grading design, they make sure that water or snow does not enter the building. The civil department also provided the design and detailing for the exterior improvements, including the repaved parking lot, access ways, and outdoor learning spaces.

Our mechanical, electrical, and plumbing engineers designed the HVAC systems and ensured the appropriate power and infrastructure for the various spaces, including the bathrooms, roof drains, and other means of water and sanitary conveyance.

LAN’s surveying department documented the existing conditions for the project team to utilize when locating the building. Without surveying, we wouldn’t understand floor elevations, existing grades, or other permanent fixtures that may interfere with the incoming design. The surveying department also assisted during construction in locating the new building corners in the field, proposed elevations, and an as-built survey when the job was complete.

 As part of the Madden Act, schools are required to perform a Preliminary Assessment for any potential environmental hazards on the school site. This required the assistance of LAN’s environmental department.  Their findings included a potentially abandoned underground tank on the site. Through the proper investigations, it was documented that it was properly removed and not a concern for the school’s population or future construction.

LAN’s construction administration department was responsible for making sure the real-world construction aligns with the construction documents. This department works as problem solvers out in the field if the contractors have questions. They also reviewed all aspects of the job, from walls to floors, equipment to piping, and slabs to finishes, so the finished product meets the goals of the designers and clients.