Archive for October, 2016

BGA Exhibitor at SAIS 2016 Annual Conference

Friday, October 21st, 2016

Bowie Gridley Architects, a firm recognized for planning and design at leading independent schools internationally, will participate in the SAIS 2016 Annual Conference, to be held October 22th-24th at the Crowne Plaza Ravinia in Atlanta, GA.

SAIS (Southern Associate of Independent Schools, Inc.) is a membership organization of more than 360 independent K-12 schools. The SAIS annual conference consists of a series of workshops for school administrators and staff.

BGA will provide information about the firm’s recent planning and design work for independent schools, including facilities for academics, arts, athletics and student life, and offer insights to member schools contemplating growth and renewal of their campuses. BGA will be in Booth #S16.

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St. Paul’s School Upper School Building

Monday, October 17th, 2016

BGA is currently designing a new classroom building for St. Paul’s School in Baltimore Maryland. The three story building will contain classrooms, science labs, STEM labs, administrative spaces, a learning center, and other program functions for the Upper School, grades 9-12. The design is intended to consolidate currently scattered program elements into a central location and to provide a vibrant STEM centered learning environment. The proposed 60,000 sq. ft. building will replace the existing upper school building which will be demolished. The building plan is organized around a new exterior plaza which will unite the existing Library (Fisher Hall) and the Chapel creating an important outdoor gathering area. Considerable effort has been made to unify the new design with the existing campus context, scale and materials palette. Construction is scheduled for 2018 with occupancy in the fall of 2019.

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Ransom Everglades School Master Plan

Monday, October 17th, 2016

BGA worked with this coeducational independent school for grades 6-12 on the development of a campus master plan and concept designs for the Upper School campus. The campus master plan featured three new buildings (Administration, STEM and Humanities). The Administrative program included shared reception and conference areas, private offices and a daycare facility. The STEM program included combined classrooms/labs for robotics, biology and math. Computer labs and independent study rooms are located on each floor for study and research. The Humanities program unites classrooms for these disciplines currently housed among 5 buildings. The numerous existing small buildings in the new development area are to be removed for the creation of a new campus quad. After a change in leadership, the scope and goals of the master plan evolved and were modified to adjust the phasing and the programmatic goals. BGA was commissioned to update the campus master plan to clarify the impact of the modified program on the overall campus plan.

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Park School Master Plan

Monday, October 17th, 2016

Park School, a non-sectarian progressive co-ed day school, selected BGA to evaluate the current state of their 57-year old campus located on a meandering and steep wooded site. Working collaboratively with the school, BGA developed a Statement of Needs which analyzed how well the facilities support the school’s mission and identified potential new facilities. A main priority of the Master Plan will be a new middle school with larger classrooms that provide a flexible environment, enabling project-based learning. A new cafeteria, café, and school store will allow engagement with the outdoors and views to the pond—a signature element of the site. The creation of a highly visible designated main entrance needed for campus security and visitor wayfinding is also planned. The lower and upper schools will expand into the vacated Middle School space, renovated to gain additional science and robotics labs, more common space, and quiet study areas.

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Choate Rosemary Hall St. John Campus Center

Monday, October 17th, 2016

The St. John Hall Student Center at Choate Rosemary Hall is a new 49,000 square-foot, three-story building that consolidates several important functions that serve students, which are currently located in various buildings on the school’s 400-acre campus. Choate is an independent, co-educational boarding and day school for 860 students in grades 9-12. St. John Hall serves as the hub of student life on campus. The building incorporates 21st Century Learning principals, bringing day students and boarders together in spaces that promote social interaction, collaborative work, and relaxation activities. Having the Deans’ offices in a discrete zone within the building promotes mentoring and counseling within the context of a more informal atmosphere. The LEED Gold facility houses social/gathering and study spaces for all students, locker space for day students, Deans’ offices, spaces for clubs and school publications, a School Store, and a Café. The building is joined to historic Hill House, where 5,000 sf on two-stories have been renovated to provide a suite for the college counseling office.

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The Phillips Collection

Monday, October 17th, 2016

As part of a series of projects for The Phillips Collection, Bowie Gridley completed a conceptual study for the addition of a rooftop penthouse on the main building— A Georgian Revival house dating to 1897—to resolve existing mechanical issues and to better protect the building and art below by enclosing all new MEP systems. In addition, the fourth floor will be entirely reconfigured. After considering several different approaches, the proposed design solution assumes the same height as the existing rooftop skylight, which was added in the 1930’s to create a studio space. The new roof is laid back from the face of the building to further differentiate itself from the existing skylight. The exterior treatment proposed is copper shingles matching the adjacent skylight which is large scale flat copper panels. The project was approved by DCHRPB and is scheduled to start construction in 2017 in coordination with the museum’s exhibition schedule.

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Georgetown University Celebrates the Building Dedication of the new John R. Thompson Jr. Intercollegiate Athletics Center

Friday, October 7th, 2016

Bowie Gridley Architects is pleased to join Georgetown University in celebrating the dedication of the new John R. Thompson Jr. Intercollegiate Athletics Center on October 6, 2016. This new 136,000 square-foot, three-story facility is named for the legendary Hoyas men’s basketball coach, who led Georgetown to its first NCAA basketball championship in 1984. The new athletic facility was designed as the training facility for the men’s and women’s basketball, soccer and lacrosse programs (NCAA Division I, Big East Conference). Bowie Gridley partnered with Populous to create a state-of-the-art training facility for the University’s signature athletic programs.

Among the honored guests were University President John J. DeGioia, Athletic Director Lee Reed, former NFL Commissioner and Georgetown alumnus Paul Tagliabue, former Head Coach John Thompson, Jr., current Head Coach John Thompson III and former star guard and Hall-of-Famer Allen Iverson. The ceremony celebrated the impact and legacy of Thompson, Jr. a powerful figure who has impacted the lives of countless students. “John (Thompson, Jr.) is the fulcrum, the bridge that connects us across generations,” President DeGioia said of the coach’s legacy.

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