Friday was selected as architect for an expanded Athletic Facility for Friends’ Central School on their suburban Philadelphia campus. Phase I services established both program and conceptual design for the facility.
Through a series of interviews with the school community, Friday synthesized an evaluation of existing athletic facilities and a complex “wish list” into a tentative space program. From this, five conceptual site configuration alternatives and building volume studies were developed that illustrated the pros and cons of the myriad programmatic, site, and design choices. Through an intensive and highly interactive series of meetings with the Building Committee, a sixth and final scheme, happily dubbed the “Consensus Scheme”, evolved.
The completed facility, named Shimada Athletic Center, contains 50,000sf of new and renovated space including a two-station gymnasium, enclosed competition swimming pool, two-mat wrestling room, fitness center, and associated locker/shower rooms and other support functions. Site improvements include a reconfigured softball field and relocated tennis courts. Construction was completed on schedule and the new facility was ready for the start of the following school year.