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Current Creations Reading
School District McKissick Associates was selected out of 13 firms that had submitted proposals for the project. According to school board facilities committee member Keith Stamm, McKissick Associates was selected on the basis of extensive past experience with the 625,000 square foot hospital complex, experience with educational projects, and the quality of their proposal. Stamm added that the Harrisburg firm was also retained for its experience with historic preservation. Some of the structures in the hospital date to the 1860s. The campus, located at 12th and Walnut Streets, will be vacated by the hospital upon completion of a new facility complex, which is expected to open in 2006. Hazleton
High School In
1928, Hazleton Senior High School was completed at
a cost of $1,114,000.00, the first school in the
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania to exceed the
million-dollar mark for construction costs. The Hazleton High School Board hired McKissick in 2003 to draw up plans for remodeling the school dubbed "Castle on the Hill" by area residents. Originally built in 1928, the school has the appearance of a castle, dominated by two turreted towers and a broad masonry arch over the entrance. Like the coal industry, the school was a casualty of diminishing prosperity and was closed in the 1990s. A grassroots "Save the Castle" movement sprouted and successfully defended the edifice from the wrecking ball. McKissick Associates goal is to convert it to a functional school building for third- through eighth-graders while preserving its historic integrity. To achieve this goal, the architectural firm has located photos of the building as it was being constructed, the original concept drawings, and the original blueprints. Such information allows the staff to base their renovations on historic archetype, rather than guessing about what original building designer's intent. "The original plans for the building call for two additions, actually wings for either side of the central structure," said McKissick. "One was erected, but the other wasn't. So, in a way, you could say that we're finishing the original plans." With the major reconstruction work for the "Castle on the Hill" already underway, it is expected that the school will open for the 2006&endash;07 school term. According to McKissick, "To be able to combine architecture, historic preservation and education in a complete package is a truly rewarding experience for us." Eagles
Mere The
General Store, originally constructed in 1869, is a
two-story wood frame structure that has had various
additions with the most recent dating to the
1930s. A unique project blending historic preservation and sustainable green design is underway in the posh and wealthy community of Eagles Mere in Sullivan County. McKissick Associates has been contracted to completely renovate several historic structures in the downtown business district including the General Store, originally constructed in 1869, and the Sweet Shop built in the late 1800s. Following the U.S. Department of the Interior guidelines for preservation and restoration of historic structures, the finished design of Old Eagles Mere Village reflects a sensitive, adaptive reuse of the existing buildings rather than pure restoration. Since the buildings will be used for commercial enterprise in addition to being historic structures, they emulate the past but provide modern, and necessary, conveniences. According to Vern McKissick, "The preservation and reuse of a building many generations old is the essence of sustainability." "Green" or sustainable design focuses attention upon five key areas: indoor air quality; energy efficiency; minimization of site impact; water quality; and use of recycled/renewable materials. Wellsboro
Area High School The
new Wellsboro Area High School &endash; designed by
McKissick Associates &endash; contains 125,000
square feet on three levels. With more than 50 school projects under his belt, Vern McKissick is leading his team of talented architects on a nearly completed project for the Wellsboro Area School District. The 126,000 square foot Wellsboro Area High School follows the LEED guidelines for "green" buildings. It uses ground-source heat pumps, sustainably harvested wood siding and roof decking over a steel superstructure. Fifty percent of the instruction spaces take advantage of daylight. The building used a 30-foot by 30-foot module that permits the building mass to be subdivided into small-scale elements, reinforcing local character and vernacular. Recently reported in the Williamsport Sun-Gazette, Vern McKissick had an opportunity to provide a tour of the Wellsboro Area School Board members around the job site. Newspaper correspondent, John Coleman, wrote that McKissick designed the building and is on top of every detail, flying into Wellsboro's Canyon Airport almost weekly to personally check on its progress. According to Norman Gosling of Pathline Construction Management of Altoona, the district's project engineer, the completion of the project is gaining about two percent a week, meaning the building should be finished for occupancy about mid April 2005.
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