Planning – GBR Architects

September 19, 2018

Oakwood School Expansion Planning

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] Oakwood School Annandale, Virginia Occupying a former church building since 1981, the Oakwood School needed to better utilize its existing space and transform its exterior appearance to better reflect its educational mission. In line with their strategic goal to provide an optimal educational environment that enhances the school’s multisensory teaching approach, GBR developed a phased plan to renovate and expand the campus of this independent school for students with learning differences. To initiate this process, GBR led a series of stakeholder engagement sessions to gain input from faculty, staff, students, parents and alumni. The results of this engagement effort led to development of the long-term space needs required to support the school’s unique team model concept that requires space for homeroom, break-outs and team teaching. The resulting plan was carefully developed along with a phasing approach to allow the work to be done over time while the school remains in operation.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]...

September 17, 2018

by John W

Montgomery County Humane Society Campus

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] Montgomery County Humane Society Aspen Hill, Maryland GBR Architects is currently working on the Master Plan and architectural design for the new Montgomery County Humane Society headquarters located in the historic Aspen Hill Memorial Park in Montgomery County, Maryland. The site includes two historic properties, listed with the Maryland Historic Trust. These existing buildings will be fully rehabilitated along with new buildings arranged around an open courtyard added to house additional programmatic elements. The new structures are modern in design using the vernacular aesthetic of rural Maryland while remaining respectful of the two existing historic buildings and their historic view shed. The new 16,000 sf headquarters will provide adoption, pet education and a community services clinic at the site. It will also be open for a number of community events and will also provide an inviting park accessible to the public. The historic pet cemetery will be fully restored with new interpretive paths...

September 16, 2018

by John W

U.S. FDA Headquarters Master Plan

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] United States Food and Drug Administration, Federal Research Center Silver Spring, Maryland The new Master Plan will provide a guide for development to accommodate a total of 18,000 FDA employees and support staff at the 130-acre FDA Headquarters at the Federal Research Center (FRC) in Silver Spring, Maryland. The plan will steer the planning, design, and construction of new buildings; improvements to roadways, utilities, and other infrastructure; and the protection of natural areas. Preceding the Master Plan, a Land Use Feasibility Study was prepared that studied multiple development strategies within the FRC and a Draft Master Plan that developed three Master Plan Alternatives. The purpose of the plan is to support consolidation of FDA employees and projected growth at the headquarters campus. The implementation of the Master Plan includes development of an additional 1,550,000 GSF of office space and 280,000 to 350,000 GSF of special use space to support FDA’s mission. Anticipating the...

September 12, 2018

by John W

Kresge Auditorium and Pavilion

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] Cate Student Center, Meredith College Raleigh, North Carolina The Cate Student Center, had seen minimal updates since its construction in the early 1970s. GBR was engaged to explore options for a phased renovation and expansion. The first phase focused on updating the auditorium to provide a modern, fully accessible, multi-functional space. When originally built, the auditorium included a moveable partition, allowing the room to be split in two. In order to maximize the amount of open interior space, this wall was removed along with a rear projection booth, storage room, and office space. This allowed for an additional row of seating as well as an informal gathering and pre-function area at the back of the room. It also facilitated adding accessible spaces with companion seating at the rear and at the front of the auditorium. The space was made to be fully accessible by providing a new exterior entrance door at the rear...

September 12, 2018

by John W

DOI Strategic Workplace Planning

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] Department of Interior, Main Interior Building Washington, DC Designed in the Stripped Classical Style, the Main Interior Building (MIB) was construction in 1936 and is listed in the National Register of Historic Places. The scope of the project involved evaluating the MIB to determine the appropriate level of alterations necessary to accommodate additional personnel and to understand the architectural and programmatic implications on the DOI’s housing strategy. The primary objective of this study was to increase efﬁciency in occupancy of the MIB while minimizing any impact on the building’s historic fabric. The ultimate goal was to articulate an end-state occupancy plan for the MIB that included consolidation of staff from commercial leased space over a seven-year period. To accomplish this objective, GBR developed a Program of Requirements for bureaus currently housed in leased space. GBR also developed concept designs for workplace prototypes within a typical half-wing at the MIB. In addition to creating...

September 6, 2018

by John W

Lab School Master Plan

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] The Lab School of Washington Washington, DC The Lab School of Washington serves students with learning differences through an experiential, art-based educational model that seeks alternatives to traditional classroom instruction. Despite this unique approach, much of its core academic space was being housed ad-hoc in a former dormitory building. In conjunction with their strategic planning, GBR was engaged to reevaluate and reimagine the school’s facilities to properly support its mission. This planning process began with a highly collaborative charrette that invited a broad cross section of stakeholders to imagine an ideal campus for The Lab School. At that same time, GBR performed a campus-wide space audit. Working with the client, a series of classroom prototypes and benchmarks were established to clearly delineate the delta between the current campus and the ideal state. The campus planning was guided by the need to create a clear and appropriate identity for each of the school’s three academic...

August 27, 2018

by John W

Mary Baldwin Master Plan

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] Mary Baldwin University Staunton, Virginia GBR Architects developed a campus master plan for Mary Baldwin University in support of a recently adopted strategic plan. The planning focused on their historic main campus in Staunton, Virginia that houses the Residential College for Women. GBR’s engagement began with a thorough assessment of the existing campus and its ability to support the university’s current and future program needs. GBR worked extensively with a broad variety of stakeholders and with the institution’s leadership team to establish a series of guiding principles that would inform future decision-making. A significant challenge for the master plan was to stitch together existing fragmented campus districts into one cohesive environment. The most notable gap in the fabric was the link between the highly active historic campus and the rambling upper campus (a 35-acre former military academy). Over the years the two independent campuses had grown back-to-back. Despite the acquisition of the land...

Archive

Oakwood School Expansion Planning

Montgomery County Humane Society Campus

U.S. FDA Headquarters Master Plan

Kresge Auditorium and Pavilion

DOI Strategic Workplace Planning

Lab School Master Plan

Mary Baldwin Master Plan

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