SJNMA - Middle School

Project Contribution:

I worked closely on the design and construction documentation of this project with Pedro Lima, owner and lead designer of Pedro Lima Interiors. We both worked on the selections and documentation of fabrics, materials, and custom casework. I handled the majority of the modeling of furniture into Revit.

Project Design Philosophy and Mission Statement:

This project is a partial renovation of an existing building at 1101 N Genesee St. Delafield WI 53018. The occupancy will remain I-Institutional. The purpose of this renovation is to create an optimal living and learning environment for the students who reside in these dorms.

St. John's Northwestern Academies Mission Statement:

St. John’s Northwestern Academies educates and develops young men and women to be responsible citizens, as well as moral and ethical leaders who are inspired to take advantage of today and tomorrow’s opportunities. We achieve this through our foundational pillars of academic excellence, enriching spiritual and character development, outstanding athletic programs, and premier leader development training in a secure, nurturing and inclusive environment.

Concept

The new student dorm room design will provide students with a comfortable, inviting, and warm environment where they can find solace when needed, and recharge physically, mentally, and emotionally each day. Through the use of warm earth tones, natural-looking finishes, and proper organizational elements, students will look forward to resting, studying, and preparing themselves for the challenges that lie ahead each day.

Design Solution - Furniture

We worked closely with Southwest Contract Furniture, a manufacturer that specializes in college dorm/living facility furniture. They currently provide furniture for dorms at Tulane University, Clemson University, The University of Utah, LSU, and many more. Their furniture is designed to be durable but also aesthetically pleasing which is an important psychological factor to take into account when designing living spaces.

St. John's inspects each student's room and space. Since the majority of the rooms are doubled this created a unique design problem. We decided to bunk the majority of the beds and place that student's main storage and desk area underneath. This will allow the instructors who are checking the rooms to easily inspect each student's side without any confusion. Our design doubled the amount of storage space that the students currently have without expanding the footprint of the room.

Design Solution - Materials

Due to the historical aspect of St. John's current building, we decided to keep the original terrazzo that runs through the student's rooms and corridors. The majority of the student dorm room furniture is manufactured out of laminate which is durable and helped to abide by the original budget.

The new vanity tops are Cosentino Silestone. They are created out of a HybriQ technology that creates a new high-preformance blend of premium minerals, quartz, and recycled glass. This results in a more sustainable product.