The College of Wooster – Stevenson Hall

Stevenson Hall is one of four College of Wooster student housing buildings originally constructed on the northwest corner of Campus in the mid-1960’s.

In 2015, the College initiated a four-year plan to improve each of these resident housing buildings. The first project, Stevenson Hall, consists of interior renovations for each of the four floors, transforming the resident hall into a 21st Century student housing facility. The design and building improvements scheduled will act as a blueprint for the remaining three student housing buildings.

The renovated student housing facility will contain 43 student rooms; one student director apartment; common laundry area; personal storage and expanded commons/lounge space with an open kitchen snack bar.

A summary of building improvements include new ADA compliant toilet and shower areas, new interior finishes, window replacement and all MEP building system upgrades. The building systems will provide new and improved equipment enhancing energy performance, as well as providing the latest technology available throughout the building.

Maag Library

This research and study library contains space for over 500,000 volumes and study accommodations for 1,200 students.

The building’s distinctive character is derived from its expressive use of architectural poured-in-place reinforced concrete. The building has a split system of stack floors to reading floors, with three stack floors equaling two reading floors. The design feature repeats twice. The lowest level contains periodicals, government documents, and microfilm. The first floor contains a reference department, circulation, and all staff functions.

The College of Wooster – Gault Schoolhouse

BSHM was retained due to the firm’s design ability with unique and difficult projects. The Gault Schoolhouse, has served the Wooster Community since it was constructed in 1902. As it was first known, the Beall Avenue School was used as a public elementary school until 1996. The building has now been transformed into a 75-bed dormitory for The College of Wooster. This renovation and adaptive re-use is a creative exercise in the collegiate living experience. Each of the original classrooms becomes a secure residential suite for three to five students, with an efficiency kitchen and two bathrooms per suite. The students’ sleeping areas are a mixture of double and single “pods” located toward the interior of the suite. The remainder of the original classroom is the “living room”. This large area for socializing benefits from the large windows and shared kitchenette.

The students are generally fourth year, with intense academic priorities. Thus, the “pods” are designed to be intimate and private while having options to be open and social. The pods have a combination of clear and translucent glass walls and doors facing the living room. Students can close their door, lower blinds or pull a curtain across the glass wall. Each pod features a lofted bed and raised “crow’s nest” or mezzanine for storage, guests or just lounging. Below the bed is a wardrobe with flexible shelving and a personal study carrel. The kitchenettes are meant for preparing snacks, and there are two “community kitchens” available in the building.

This project involved extensive interior plumbing renovations and HVAC system alterations occurred as well, very limited site work such as exterior signage and parking. The building’s exterior work involved minor masonry repair and multiple windows were modified to provide ventilation. Fire Protection, Technology and Security were modified to implement security access at perimeter doors, compatible with the College of Wooster’s standards. The project was solicited as a “fast-track” construction process.

This project was featured in Building Design + Construction Magazine: “Six Trends Steering Today’s College Residence Halls,” November, 2014.

*a collaborative project with Little Diversified Architectural Consulting

The College of Wooster – Andrews Gault APEX Library

BSHM was hired by the College of Wooster in May 2014 for the first renovation project at Andrew’s Gault Library. Phase I of the College of Wooster library renovations was a complete transformation of 1,280 SF into a digital library. Administrative programs were relocated, small spaces were enlarged by the removal of walls, borrowed light strategies in concert with careful lighting considerations allowed abundant daylighting. Electrical, Mechanical and Technology upgrades were tailored to the predominately keyboard and screen environment for student access of resources.

BSHM was again hired for Phase II in October of 2014 which was the conversion of a mail room into three offices, along with a storage room into the new mail room, and consisted of approximately 5,575 SF of total renovated space. The circulation pattern of the center of the building was altered by providing a new opening from the renovated offices through the original library exterior wall and into the APEX portion of the building. Each new office borrowed light via transom windows and new technology and lighting upgrades were included in the renovation. The shipping and receiving functions of the mail room were streamlined through the relocation of the mail room closer to the loading area, allowing direct access to exterior doors through a vestibule, and eliminating the traffic through an office area that the old layout included.

BSHM was again hired in 2016 for Phase III which is comprised of the conversion of approximately 9,200 SF of library stack space into a modern collaboration space for students and faculty. The stack space is converted to an arrangement of multi-purpose rooms, offices, and a flexible open-seating gathering space that includes a moveable partition to allow the space to adjust to accommodate larger groups. Small group rooms are arranged along the main circulation path, allowing for breakout spaces at the perimeter of the group space. A careful consideration of materials and finishes, along with upgraded lighting and technology, will provide a fresh, 21st century sensitivity to the original mid-1960s library space.

The College of Wooster – Brush Hall

BSHM was retained to provide assessment and design of renovations to upgrade to the existing Holden Annex, However, upon investigation the cost of renovation and modernization exceeded the budget and long term benefit of the building.

As a result of the BSHM assessment, the College of Wooster chose to demolish the existing building and construct a new structure with more beds that provide individual study areas as well as social gathering spaces, all accessible by an elevator and two grand lobbies. A donor stepped forward to fund the difference between renovation and new construction cost and the new facility is now known as Brush Residence Hall and providing student housing as well as an outdoor student hub. The 11,237 SF project was completed in 2016.

 

Youngstown State University – Ward Beecher Hall

Renovation of science research lab spaces and academic areas in Ward Beecher Hall.

The Ward Beecher upgrades included the replacement of stationary equipment (sinks, casework, benches, plumbing, filtering system, etc.), lighting upgrades, plumbing, electrical, technology and HVAC upgrades and upgrades to the interior finishes to showcase the University’s research laboratories.

Licking Heights High School

BSHM and consultants were retained to facilitate an educational visioning/planning process that involved the School District administration, staff and community. As a result of the community engagement process, thorough evaluation of existing curriculum and extensive goal setting process, an educational specification was developed that led to the collaborative Program of Requirements and Schematic Site Plan and Building Diagram Designs.

The athletics portion of the high school was designed to operate as an independent wing of the building. The design incorporated two gymnasiums – one main competition with seating for nearly 2,000 spectators and an auxiliary gym for practice/tournament use. The main gym incorporated mezzanine seating, which doubles as practice space for sports, such has cheerleading or baseball when the rear-extending bleachers are closed and mats are down, or the batting cage is opened. A weight room is located on the mezzanine between the main gym and auxiliary gym with locker rooms and a training room utilizing the space below.

Licking Heights was identified as the second fastest growing District in the State of Ohio. The District is delivering state-of-the-art curriculum pathways for all aspirations from military, workplace, and collegiate to entrepreneurship fields. The District’s constituents are multicultural, ranging from rural to metropolitan development and vary greatly in socioeconomic status. BSHM is proud to have been chosen by this group of outstanding educators for this important transition.

Cardinal Joint Fire District

New Construction of the 12,000 SF Fire Station and EMS Facility started in late fall of 2016 and Owner occupancy was provided on June 26, 2017.

Situated in a mixed use area of residential, industrial and rural surroundings, the site provided unique challenges. The station is designed in a response to its context as a stylistic “bridge” to unify the building types surrounding the site: a factory to the east, a large gable-roofed church to the west, and numerous houses to the north – the station’s forms and material palette accordingly draws influence from its neighbors. Functionally the station provides much needed coverage to the growing northwest corner of the fire district. The building features a double deep apparatus bay for five vehicles, a 50 person training room, interior skills training features, bunks, offices, kitchen, day room and an exercise room.

Johnstown Monroe – High School

BSHM master planned the new Johnstown High School to create a campus setting with the District’s Middle School Performing Arts Center and Sports Complex that allowed 21st Century learning to happen both inside and outside the building. The new school was designed to utilize the steep grades to create a three-story academic wing with a scale in accordance with the surrounding buildings. Massing and materials echo the character of the village.

Working with the District’s existing property located in a residential neighborhood, the BSHM design maximizes the use of the small eleven (11) acre site by locating the building to minimize the proximity to the existing adjacent homes, yet providing open green space for play fields and separation of car and bus traffic.

An efficient floor plan allows students to move around the building quickly and easily. The design incorporated flexible learning spaces that align with the District’s movement toward a student-driven educational model.

The project is now LEED Silver Certified.

 

Follis Field – Wooster City School District

The Wooster City School District has been a recurring client for 25 years, BSHM’s services have been renewed annually at their January Board of Education meeting, in anticipation of their capital improvements such as paving, roofing, ADA renovations, etc. In addition to the District’s capital improvements, BSHM performs planning exercises for future growth and general District strategies for facility management.

Such planning resulted in the multi-phased stadium upgrades. Phase I was the $1,200,000 reconfiguration and installation of an all-weather equal quadrant track and relocation of the visitor’s grandstands with ADA upgrades. This phase also included a new artificial turf field, accommodating high school soccer, lacrosse, field hockey and football.

Phase II concentrated on the replacement of the District’s old Press Box. Demolition and new construction was challenged by difficult terrain and weather conditions, but the District’s patience was rewarded by their custom, two-tiered interior space, divided into three sound separating compartments and a covered roof deck, protected on one side from wind. Over 500 SF of new decking was added to the top of the home grand stands with new fencing and paving below, for the District’s athletic, performance and graduation use.

For phase III, BSHM was again retained to design and construct a grand entry complex with multiple locker rooms, flexible in sport and gender use, with showers, restrooms, official’s changing rooms, ticket sales and a large weight room accompanied by a new state-of-the-art training facility. This training facility is incredibly valuable to the District as it is so close to the field, to provide everything from whirlpool, ice and first aid.