The Pennington School’s new Kenneth K.T. Yen Humanities Building, designed by Voith & Mactavish Architects (VMA) has completed in Pennington, N.J. The new building is at the center of a comprehensive campus plan VMA created in 2012. It comprises 18 classrooms and five seminar rooms.
The facility was originally intended to contain 21 classrooms and occupy a larger footprint than the resulting 30,000 sf, but early in the process VMA and the Pennington School realized they could rethink the program and design in ways that made better use of the space and resources.
After analyzing Pennington’s daily class schedule, VMA determined the school would be better served by a mix of classroom sizes rather than the planned equal-sized classrooms. Initial plans also included a fully enclosed lecture hall, but with the change in strategy to prioritize flexible, multi-use spaces, plans for this lecture hall were altered, as well. This led to the creation of The Forum, an expansive double-height atrium that serves as a space for both lectures and events, as well as informal gatherings and study sessions.
Classrooms feature seamless and unobtrusive technology that supports varying teaching techniques and flexible furniture that can form multiple configurations to accommodate different needs. Faculty and administrative areas are clustered to allow shared amenities and to make them more accessible to students. Nooks are included throughout the hallways and outfitted with comfortable, colorful seating. These informal breakout spaces can be used as meeting spaces for after-school clubs and places for teachers and students to gather as equals.
The project has achieved LEED Gold certification.
Related Stories
K-12 Schools | Nov 16, 2017
Future-proofing higher education: Understanding generation Z
There are three driving issues behind this next generation: demographic change, behavioral change, and the power to choose.
Reconstruction Awards | Nov 13, 2017
Harlem Renaissance: A vacant school provides much-needed housing and a clubhouse for children
Word that PS 186 might be demolished brought out the preservationists, whose letter-writing campaign gained the support of the New York Landmarks Conservancy.
Education Facilities | Oct 3, 2017
The growing demand for early childhood education
When the design of early learning centers is grounded in the science of developmental psychology and education, these educational environments can address multiple domains of development that positively stimulate young children's physical and cognitive growth.
Laboratories | Sep 12, 2017
New York City is positioning itself as a life sciences hub
A new Transwestern report highlights favorable market and regulatory changes.
Education Facilities | Aug 3, 2017
School of Communication and Media at Montclair State University merges faculty, professionals, and academic programs
CannonDesign designed the facility, which features a 197-seat presentation hall and various control rooms.
Government Buildings | Jul 26, 2017
Spector Group unveils new law enforcement center for Nassau County
The center will serve as a regional training center for all Nassau County Police personnel.
Higher Education | Jul 24, 2017
The renovation of the business school at St. John’s University looks to keep up with the Joneses
A nearly 40-year-old space is opened up and modernized.
Education Facilities | Jul 14, 2017
Youth education center in Baltimore gets first students
Students learn environmental skills, natural resource management, urban agriculture, and water quality monitoring.
Cladding and Facade Systems | Jul 14, 2017
Angular observatory uses zinc panels to gain unobstructed view of night sky
The observatory’s pattern of lock-seamed zinc cladding alternates between the irregular site topography and the building’s geometry.Â
Sustainability | Jun 28, 2017
Mohawk College will have one of the region’s first net-zero energy institutional buildings
The project’s net-zero goals led to the development of a new curtain wall system.