Rendering showing a planned new addition to North Penn High School connecting the school’s current A-pod and H-pod, as presented by Schrader Group Architects to the school board’s facilities and operations committee on Monday, Jan. 27, 2025. (Credit: NPSD)
Committee members see latest renderings of planned addition
With bids coming in for the first phase of renovations to North Penn High School, the second — and much larger — phase is also coming into focus.
“It is an extremely difficult renovation that we’ve been working on,” said project construction manager Jamie Lynch.
Over the past several years, school board members and staff have held lengthy talks about renovations to the high school, with the latest plans splitting the project into two phases. The first would tackle the school’s K-pod and natatorium, and move a propane tank and fueling station currently at the rear of the school closer to the Valley Forge Road entrance, while the second phase would build a new addition between the current A-pod and H-pod at the current rear of the school, then move students into that addition as the remaining pods are renovated over several years.
North Penn High School staff leave an exit from the school’s A-pod, where an addition could be built connecting that wing of the school and the nearby H-pod, at left, on June 11, 2024.After giving an update on the first phase Monday night, Lynch and Architect Devin Bradbury led a deep dive into the second phase, including new renderings of what the addition could look like, and changes to the subsequent work.
“We’ve got the A-pod addition, which you know goes first. What we’d like to do is move as quickly as we can to the F-pod renovation, which is the auditorium space, because that’s really a key space in the building,” he said.
Bid documents for the second phase are being finalized now, and are expected to be ready to advertise for bidders by May, with a contract award possible in July or August, the construction manager told the board. The project is currently scheduled to run into 2030 or 2031, depending on those bid results, and a new abatement consultant is working to identify all areas in the various buildings where abatement of hazardous materials may be needed.
Cars are parked next to a courtyard adjacent to North Penn High School’s A-pod and H-pod, as seen in June 2024.Impact on lunches
The updated renovation schedule could also move ahead an area that nearly all students and staff use.
“One of the big features that we want to make sure we correctly identify in the phasing, is where the cafeteria falls in the entire renovation, to try to minimize any impact on food service, and also to make sure we can do the kitchen in a reasonable amount of time,” he said.
Breaking up bids
Over the past month, the construction team has looked at ways to split the project into multiple bid packages to make it more attractive to contractors, with the first phase covering A and F pods possible as one contract, and the rest as another.
“This creates greater competition, allows more contractors with bonding capacity to chase the project, makes the project more attractive, and I believe would be a better value overall,” Lynch said.
A North Penn High School class of 2024 graduate tosses his cap as his family takes photos in a courtyard adjacent to the school’s A-pod, where an addition could be built connecting that wing of the school and the nearby H-pod, at left, on June 11 2024.A color-coded flow spreadsheet has been developed listing how many classrooms will be under renovation and out of commission during each phase of the renovations, and how many temporary classrooms created during the first phase will be needed.
“This is our tool for saying we need more, we need less, or we get on our knees to [Dr. Pete] Nicholson and say ‘In this time frame, can we squeeze some extra classrooms out?’ That’s our last request, to see if we can squeeze a couple of classrooms out” of other space, Lynch said. Nicholson is district administrator for secondary education and renovation.
New look, inside and out
Bradbury showed updated renderings of what the second phase could look like, leading with the A-pod addition meant to connect two existing wings of the school, create a new entrance, and add access to the second floor of the school while students occupy the new classrooms during renovations elsewhere.
Rendering showing a planned new addition to North Penn High School connecting the school’s current A-pod and H-pod, as presented by Schrader Group Architects to the school board’s facilities and operations committee on Monday, Jan. 27, 2025. (Credit: NPSD)“You can see it’s a combination of brick and metal panel, most of the glass is up on the second floor,” Bradbury said, showing a series of images of the new wing facing toward a new transportation building, and toward the high school’s Crawford Stadium just to the southwest.
Rendering showing a planned new addition to North Penn High School connecting the school’s current A-pod and H-pod, as presented by Schrader Group Architects to the school board’s facilities and operations committee on Monday, Jan. 27, 2025. (Credit: NPSD)Inside the new wing, major enhancements: the latest renderings show a sunlit three-story lobby, with NP and Knights logos throughout, a wide staircase allowing a new access to the second floor, and new energy-efficient lighting above.
“You can connect from this A-pod addition, all the way through the courtyard down to the F-pod, to connect to the auditorium. The whole idea of this renovation is to decrease student travel time, create a lot more circulation throughout the building, and improve on travel time,” he said.
Rendering showing a view from inside the second floor of planned new addition to North Penn High School, as presented by Schrader Group Architects to the school board’s facilities and operations committee on Monday, Jan. 27, 2025. (Credit: NPSD)On the second floor above the staircase is an unassigned open space for students to gather, socially or for classwork, and art classrooms and larger instruction rooms would feature two stories of space for larger classes.
“One of the major conversions are the C-39 and A-33 spaces, the old lecture halls: we’re showing what a renovated version of this could be,” Bradbury said. In the new renderings, rear walls would be opened to allow easier access and more lighting than the current walls and doors, and fixed desks would be replaced by bleacher-style seating for large groups, Bradbury said, showing before-and-after photos of both.
Rendering showing the interior of a planned new addition to North Penn High School, as presented by Schrader Group Architects to the school board’s facilities and operations committee on Monday, Jan. 27, 2025. (Credit: NPSD)Furniture feedback wanted
Another feature that’s not yet finalized, but could create a new connection: Nicholson detailed how the design team recently invited a group of students, selected by assistant principals, to meet with a private vendor to discuss furniture for the new building, and those students were buzzing for days afterward.
“We’re looking forward to the next meetings with kids, because every time we sit down with them, their expertise in using the building really shines through,” Nicholson said.
Those students had plenty to say, as summarized in a video produced by the high school’s student-run NPTV channel showing classmates testing out various tables, chairs, desks and more, and sharing rave reviews.
QR codes will be displayed around the new building taking students and staff to online surveys, showing the before-and-after renderings in the actual spaces, and what the graphics and logos could look like.
“You’ll see a lot of different graphics around, to change the look of the interior of this building,” Bradbury said. “Those will be scattered around the entire building, for all the spaces that will have graphics. Hopefully it’s a really exciting way to get the students and the staff involved in the process.”
North Penn’s school board next meets on Feb. 11. at 7 p.m. and the facilities and operations committee next meets at 7 p.m. on Feb. 24; for more information visit www.NPenn.org.
This article appears courtesy of a content share agreement between North Penn Now and The Reporter. To read more stories like this, visit https://www.thereporteronline.com
