by Charles Hendricks | Jan 16, 2025 | architecture, Commercial Architect, Harrisonburg Architect, Interior Design, project update, School architect
Eastern Mennonite Elementary school is in the home stretch with finishes being installed. On my last visit the lights were being installed inside, the drywall was done, and the shape of the space was clear. I am looking forward to a return visit as the doors have been installed and I imagine the space is flooded with light. There is also a special stained glass installation happening in one of the three upper windows on the north side of the space. I have seen bits of this beautiful work being created by Zachery Nafzinger on his social media posts for ZN Stained Glass.
This space will serve as a place of gathering for the students of the Elementary school to come together and build community. This is a fundamental goal of our firm is to create spaces where this can happen. The idea of building a stronger community through design is what drives us to keep doing what we are doing.
The goal of this building and this space was to keep a connection to the outside, to make it adaptable for many uses, and to incorporate building science / sustainability. We have achieved each of those goals with the wide doors that can stay open in nice weather creating a pavilion like space. The space will be used for lunch, class gatherings, whole school functions, and even a recreation space for days when PE cannot be outside. The building science / sustainability strategies we have used throughout this project include air tight insulation, exterior continuous insulation, LED lights, and a simple form to reduce material use while making the building striking from the outside.
I cannot wait to see it finished and being used. I know the teachers will also welcome this added space for their daily functions.
by Charles Hendricks | Jun 17, 2024 | architecture, Commercial Architect, project update, School architect
The Eastern Mennonite Elementary School gathering space is taking shape as foundation walls are revealed. It has been such a joy to return to this project to add the gathering space to the Elementary School we helped create years ago. In the design of this addition, we once again worked hand in hand with the teachers and staff of Eastern Mennonite School to make sure we addressed concerns, enhanced their ability to serve their students, and created a comfortable space for their students. I am really looking forward to seeing how the soft northern light will bath over this space and how the warm radiant floors designed by Rockingham Engineering will make the space enjoyable year-round.
At the site meeting this week I was thrilled to hear from Herr and Company that the foundation walls and grade worked out exactly as we had planned. This will allow for multiple access points and the ability to open this space up in comfortable weather as a pavilion space. The connection to outside / nature is a core component of this schools educational standards. Designing a commercial space that can serve as both an indoor and outdoor space has some building science challenges. Working with the design team we were able to come up with solutions that will be durable, sustainable, and comfortable.
This addition will allow for large group gatherings in the building and provide flexible small study rooms, a warming kitchen, storage space, and outdoor solid surface gathering areas.
More on the addition of the gathering space in Phase II Here.
by Charles Hendricks | May 6, 2024 | architecture, Commercial Architect, Harrisonburg Architect, project update, School architect
Eastern Mennonite Elementary School phase 2 is now under construction. It is awesome to be invited back to a project by a client to finish what was started. Eastern Mennonite Elementary School phase 2 will provide the gathering space that allows all the students to come together daily in one place to build community. This space was designed as part of phase 1, but was planned to allow for the fundraising needed to complete it with minimal impacts on what was built just a few years ago. This design planning has saved the client money while allowing them to grow over time.
The space is designed to connect the interior to the exterior serving as a pavilion space in comfortable weather. It features large windows and doors and is flexible enough for eating, gathering, events, and even small groups to gather.
In the cool weather the space will be comfortable thanks to the design efforts of Rockingham Engineering. They provided the expertise to bring in a radiant slab system that will make this space comfortable and efficient. This innovative design concept came from the engineer team as a way to combat the typical cold slab issue that these types of spaces usually experience.
If you want to support this project, they are still raising funds to finish it out. This facility will be a place where community building happens every day, much like the family room in one’s home. Your financial support will allow that to happen.
Stay tuned for more project updates as Herr and Company executes the design we developed.
by Charles Hendricks | Nov 27, 2019 | architecture, Commercial Architect, Harrisonburg Architect, project update, School architect
Eastern Mennonite Elementary School is close to finished. This has been a long time coming and we are finishing later than I hoped due to a variety of reasons. However, this project has turned out just as beautiful as I hoped it would be when I did my first sketch of it back in 2015.
The color scheme changed a bit and the gathering space is a work in progress, but the design intent is evident in the finished product.
The finished landscape will come along with figuring out how the students will use the space. For now, we have a minimal landscape design so the school can evolve into this new loved space that is exactly what the students want and need to learn and play.
The classrooms are not yet filled with life, but you can see how open and full of light they are even in their pre-move in condition and our sketch of what we thought would evolve.
The change from what used to be there to what is there now is incredible. This building has new life and I hope a long life! We, collectively as a team – contractor / building owner / subcontractors / architect – were able to save the embedded energy of the previous structure and update the systems to allow for an efficient and long lasting future for this school and building. With every renovation project there are surprises along the way, but with a good team you can navigate those challenges and produce this kind of dramatic change. This team included Harman Construction, Trumbo Electric, Blauch Brothers, Classic Kitchen and Bath, Lantz Woodworking, Weaver’s Flooring America, Partners Excavating, Coleman Engineering, F & R Engineering, Don Largent Roofing, Rich Wagner Masonry, E=MC2, Marv Nicly, Mike Stoltzfus, and Mast Landscapes.
The building was originally an appliance store when it was built.
It took on new life and was renovated many times, but when we started our work it was a church and Menno Media.
The entrance to the building is welcoming and the front desk we designed and was built by Lantz Woodworking is beautiful. It is a dramatic change from the before photo. The other cabinets that you see through the building were designed and installed by Classic Kitchen and Bath to provide ample storage options for all the teachers.
The existing building rooms were small and most of them were dark. We opened up the floor plan to allow a lot of light and sized the rooms for the Eastern Mennonite Elementary School community. These new classrooms are light and larger than their former classrooms on the loved Rt. 11 campus. Each classroom has ample storage and close access to a restroom and drinking fountains.
The new teaching kitchen in the Eastern Mennonite Elementary School is going to allow for a lot of exciting lessons. It is a big space that will allow for flexibility teaching and is another dramatic change from the previous kitchen in the building.
We wanted to make all the spaces feel light and welcoming so we moved the corridor to the east wall to allow in light. This will also buffer some of the road noise from the classrooms. The old corridor made the space feel small and dark. Our design change opened up the building making it feel larger.
Our goal to make sure we designed fun in all the spaces possible and created usable elements for all the students which led us to upgrade the previous circulation system as well. This new lower handrail in the stair will be friendly to the youngest to oldest in this new building use. There is also an elevator making the entire building accessible to all abilities.
In an effort to make the building itself a teaching element all the systems in the building are being labeled. This building science lesson will be able to take place at all grade levels and in all parts of the building. Even the mechanical rooms got access to light providing viewing windows into the heart of the building systems. Viewing portals will be added in walls to further tell the story of how this building works.
This project makes me happy and I am thankful to have been given the chance to work with the teachers and students to achieve the finished product. I am looking forward to hearing and seeing the activity in these spaces. The love this school gives their students is evident in the dedication they put into creating this new space. If you are thinking about an Elementary School that has a focus on loving your children, teaching them the importance of service, music, art, and play while offering the best education possible – you should check out Eastern Mennonite Elementary School.
by Charles Hendricks | Aug 22, 2018 | architecture, Commercial Architect, Harrisonburg Architect, School architect
Eastern Mennonite Elementary School construction has started. The first round of demolition over the summer removed interior finishes and asbestos. You could tell something was going on by the workers around the building and the dumpsters, but from the outside it was hard to see progress. The flooring, walls, ceilings, wiring, and insulation were all removed to make way for the new Elementary school layout to fit perfectly into the existing space. Plans have evolved as pricing has been developed by the contractor and design has continued through the pricing phase. Often in renovation work we don’t have the chance to see behind the walls before design documents are finished. This preliminary demolition opened up the structure and we have been able to see actual conditions and plan the correct solutions for any issues that have been identified.
Now phase two of the demolition has started for Eastern Mennonite Elementary School. The trees along Rt 42 are being taken down. They have been deformed by power line trimming over the years. They also are in the space of the new stair and elevator tower needed for circulation in the new elementary school. While we hate to lose these mature trees, we will bring back landscaping once construction on the building is complete. Planning will be done to select and locate trees that can better coexist with the power lines. The wood is being saved for use around the school as benches and play structures.
The next big change will be the removal of the recording studio that is attached to the warehouse. This will be a dramatic change to the existing building. Stay tuned for updates.
by Charles Hendricks | Mar 23, 2016 | architecture, Commercial Architect, Harrisonburg Architect, Indoor Air Quality, project update, School architect
Working on designs for every client is a task that I take very seriously. I want all of our projects to be healthy places to live, work, and play. They should be energy-efficient and durable for the preservation of future generations. However, designing a project that primarily serves elementary school students raises the bar on all of these goals. So what should be incorporated into a design for an elementary school to enhance the learning experience? See our examples from our elementary school project for Eastern Mennonite School.
- School as the center of community – a modern school should be a place for gathering, it should be used 7 days a week, and it should be used by a wide range of community groups. Designing spaces that will allow for access to the building at appropriate times, appropriate levels of access, and flexibility of space is critical. A school as a gathering space helps build community around the school and the students. This provides opportunities for students to connect to community leaders, see leadership in action, and feel part of the larger community.
- Technology – Future proofing the school is critical as the tools available are changing at a rapid pace. Integrating current technologies into the design while providing for future upgrades allows the school to stay on the cutting edge of educational opportunities. Smart boards, flexible spaces, and diversity of spaces are critical to provide a platform for students to learn into the future.
- Flexibility in spaces – classrooms need to be flexible to accommodate the variety of strategies for teaching. Rooms that can expand or connect to other spaces provides abilities to team teach and blend age groups. The classroom must allow for expansion, but also feel comfortable for a small group. Classrooms must exist inside and outside the building. The building should be a classroom itself as a whole.
- Student-centered design – modern schools have to accommodate a variety of learning conditions. The days of sitting in desks and passively listening to a lecture no longer apply. Students learn by doings, working in groups, and working solo. They work in the classroom, outside in nature, and in large gathering spaces. The school needs to have a variety of learning environments. From classroom to kitchen, students need to have a wide variety of experiential learning environments.
- Sustainability – there is no question in my mind that we can build better buildings. This is a primary concern in educational facilities. It is a given that all new buildings should be energy-efficient for the amount of money needed to operate and to reduce the environmental impacts. However, it should not stop there. Indoor-air-quality, durability, and alternative energy sources have to be part of every elementary school.
- Buildings that enhance learning – The spaces created for learning can be made comfortable in order to allow students to better focus. They should also enhance learning through connections to nature, science, technology, and math. Colors, textures, sound, and light all play into the way the building will perform and students will thrive. Lessons about how the building itself works can be highlighted to open up imagination and understanding of the built environment.
- Safety – A school should not look like a fortress, but should be a fortress. Creating spaces that are safe for the users is critical.
- Making experiences – creating work spaces that can be used for students to explore their inner maker is the future of education. Students want and need spaces that can get dirty so they can fully explore educational opportunities. Durable and slip resistant flooring allows for spaces to get wet, dripped on, beat on, and will still be safe. Open cabinets allow for better organization and identification of what is available. A variety of work spaces allow for team work and individual exploration.
- Future Skills based on classic knowledge – we cannot abandon our lessons from the past – classrooms still need to be quiet, comfortable, and organized. There needs to be bookshelves and backpack storage.
- Connection to nature – Perhaps the most important design element for elementary school students is a connection to nature. Students need to be able to see trees, birds, and the sky. They need access to be outside, to experience the seasons, and to get wet, hot, cold. They need to be active, run, skip, build forts, and create stores. The need to play and the building and surrounding site can enhance these experiences.
This space will serve as a place of gathering for the students of the Elementary school to come together and build community. This is a fundamental goal of our firm is to create spaces where this can happen. The idea of building a stronger community through design is what drives us to keep doing what we are doing.
