09/18/2018
KCBA is excited to announce that the firm has been selected as the architect for Avon Grove School District’s facilities program. This represents a major development in the school district’s multi-year facilities planning process, a community-wide effort that explored a wide range of potential scenarios to meet long-term needs.
Located in southern Chester County Pennsylvania, Avon Grove is a rapidly growing community. While well maintained, the existing secondary school buildings have operational challenges, are incapable of accommodating projected enrollment growth, and are unsuited to the district’s innovative, student-directed academic program. The capital plan that has been chosen for implementation features the construction of a new high school and conversion of the former high school into a middle school.
The first phase of the program is the establishment of the new high school on a beautiful, currently vacant site known as the Sunnyside property. The rolling 153-acre tract will be transformed into a vibrant new hub of activity with a full gamut of indoor and outdoor student and community spaces. The facility will initially house 1750 students in grades 9-12 with the capability to easily expand in the future to accommodate 2200.
The program of the new high school includes a multitude of flexible, collaborative, and project-based spaces which will be interwoven to yield a dynamic platform for learning and development. Key project priorities include the incorporation of advanced security equipment and protocols; a building configuration that invites heavy community use of meeting, arts, and athletic spaces; integration of architectural and cultural features that celebrate the history of the region; utilization of sustainable, energy efficient design strategies and building practices; and resourceful allocation of taxpayer dollars.
Once high school students have relocated to the new building, the current high school will be renovated and converted into a middle school. In addition to integrating advanced, age-appropriate learning environments, building systems and materials will be upgraded and modernized. The project will also enable a grade realignment with 6th grade added to the current 7-8 middle school model, thereby increasing student capacity at the elementary level.
In addition to the opportunity to contribute to a transformational building campaign, the team at KCBA is pleased to renew a long-term, successful professional relationship. Previous collaborations with the school district include the design of Avon Grove Intermediate School (currently housing grades 3-6), the design of the district kindergarten center which is linked to Penn London Elementary School, and the 2007 feasibility study that led to the purchase of the Sunnyside Property.
