Thomas Jefferson Middle School

A $25M referendum was passed by Fair Lawn voters in 2018 for additions to both Memorial and Thomas Jefferson Middle Schools. Due to increased enrollment in the School District, it was identified that a need for additional instructional space was required. To free up classroom space in the elementary schools, a proposed addition to the two schools was developed and would accommodate the moving of 5th grade elementary students to the middle schools.

This 25,000 sf addition and renovation addressed many District issues, including overcrowding of multiple schools in the District. Thirteen new classrooms were designed, as well as a new STEAM lab and upgraded guidance offices. The new 3,000 sf cafetorium serves as an all-purpose room, holding the school’s lunch as well as any auxiliary physical education needs. The existing interior office space and nurse’s area was also renovated. 

LAN’s engineering department provided various MEP upgrades to the school, including a new electrical service. LAN also designed new air conditioning for the auditorium. A parking lot expansion was designed by LAN’s Civil Engineering department.

HVAC designs are important to the comfort and health of building occupants. The goal of energy conservation was a fundamental inclusion into the systems at Thomas Jefferson Middle School. Relying on roof top units (RTU’s) to supply ventilation and control temperature in the building spaces, the larger RTU’s use CO2 sensors to increase ventilation air only when room occupancy increases, while heat exchangers simultaneously capture the energy from the air being exhausted. These RTU’s provide important ventilation and comfort for the occupants while minimizing energy usage.