CHARLESTON, S.C.—Design firm Woolpert and general contractor Thompson Turner Construction have completed work at the Citadel military college’s newest structure, which replaces the original Capers Hall, first opened in the 1950s.

The new $67-million Capers Hall offers customizable classroom designers, AV capabilities, smart tech devices as well as a contemporary computer lab. The three-story, 97,500-square-foot edifice houses both the institute’s School of Humanities and Social Sciences and also a 250-seat performing arts auditorium, art gallery, mock courtroom, as well as areas devoted to cybersecurity and the handling of other delicate and sensitive information.

“Capers Hall has been a bedrock of this institution for seven decades,” the Citadel Provost Sally SeldeIt said at a recent ribbon-cutting event. “As we stand in this new building today, it’s not just bricks and mortar we see, but the embodiment of a strategic vision—Our Mighty Citadel.”

Woolpert aimed at incorporating as many sustainable elements as possible, including recycling crushed concrete, masonry and stucco from the demolition of the original Capers Hall to be reused in the new facility’s foundation and parking lot. Additionally, Thompson Turner installed upon the roof a photovoltaic solar power system to help offset energy consumption. This is part of the Citadel’s overall goal of achieving LEED Silver certification.

“The building’s exterior seamlessly blends with the rest of the campus’s Moorish architecture through its white stucco façade and incorporation of the building’s original iron-frame light fixtures,” said Woolpert Project Manager David Welling. “The exterior is beautiful, but the technology and interior details within are what truly make this new building so special.

“We are really looking forward to seeing how the cadets and faculty make use of their new spaces.”

Woolpert, founded in 2011 in Dayton, Ohio, employs over 2,000 people on five continents. The firm’s services include AEG, geospatial and strategic consulting.

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CHARLESTON, S.C.—The Citadel contracted with Woolpert to be the architect of record for the Capers Hall Replacement Project at the Charleston campus, providing architecture, landscape architecture, interior design and structural engineering. The overall project will cost an estimated $67 million and will raze and replace the existing Capers Hall building, located on the southeastern edge of the campus.

The new facility will retain the Moorish architectural style consistent throughout the historic campus and will include 21st-century educational upgrades to meet the needs of modern students. These include smart classrooms, state-of-the-art lecture studios, conferencing locations, and flexible and distinctive spaces, such as a cybersecurity lab and an art gallery.

The new three-story, 97,500-square-foot building will employ a code-compliant structural frame responsive to seismic events and hurricanes. It is designed to meet a LEED Silver certification, which incorporates many sustainable features, such as a roof-mounted photovoltaic system to offset energy usage. Woolpert also is providing security, communications design and site-lighting engineering.

Creech & Associates PLLC is the design architect; DWG Consulting Engineers will provide mechanical, electrical and plumbing (MEP) engineering and fire protection; and structural and civil engineering is being designed by ADC Engineering.

Woolpert Associate and Project Manager David Welling indicated that new facility will enhance the sense of arrival at the campus and elevate the aesthetics for the surrounding neighborhood. He added that the new facility will provide a cost-effective approach for a modern energy-compliant building envelope and building systems, and it will be compliant to Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Standards.

The design of the Capers Hall Replacement Project is based on the vernacular of the Citadel campus and incorporates a central courtyard. It will be similar to the style of the nearby barracks but with modern technology and amenities. Woolpert Vice President and Market Director Andrew Pack said universities are challenged with striking the perfect balance between maintaining tradition and facilitating the latest technology.

“The Citadel is known for its excellent reputation for education, and this facility builds on that strong history by extending its comprehensive collegiate environment,” Pack said. “It embraces the social interaction of the community by offering multiple amenities, including an auditorium and classrooms like the Center for Inclusive Excellence and Center for International and Special Programs.”

The new hall is in the construction phase and is scheduled to open in the summer of 2023.

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EASTVILLE, Va.—Waller, Todd & Sadler Architects, based in Virginia Beach, has been tapped by the Northampton County Board of Supervisors and Northampton County Public Schools to renovate and modernize the 35-acre campus of the Northampton Middle/High School campus in Eastville, a city located on Virginia’s peninsular Eastern Shore.

The plans for the $40 million project call for over 43,000 square feet of the existing school to be demolished, another 55,000 square feet renovated, plus an addition of 78,000 square feet of new classroom and other spaces. A new dedicated wing for grades 6 to 8 will stand alongside another wing redesigned specifically for students in grades 9 to 12.

External upgrades include a dedicated bus loop and delivery bays for trucks to bring in supplies, as well as smoothing traffic flow.

Both the middle and high school will each have their own gyms, classrooms and locker rooms, but they will share a great many elements of the re-envisioned campus. The combined schools will have shared use of an auditorium, common areas and what are being called “elective areas” that serve multiple purposes. The kitchen and cafeteria will essentially have mirrored functions such that the cooking staff can alternate between serving food to either the middle or high school students as needed. Also, the two cafeteria spaces can be merged for use in larger events.

Modern furniture and fixtures will be added to the redesigned spaces. Waller, Todd & Sadler will also update the school’s Career Technology Education building such that it can be utilized for not only middle and high school students but also members of the surrounding community looking to improve their resumes. New programs to be added to the Career Technology Education center include computer science, agriculture and aquaponics, which will complement the programs already offered there in business and industry.

Waller, Todd & Sadler has been working with the county and school board since March of 2019 on a plan to combine the middle and high school elements at the location.

“Since the former stand-alone high school absorbed middle schoolers over time, there is not a strong sense of community for either school,” Maureen McElfresh, Woolpert architectural project manager, said in a recent statement. “By strategically renovating the existing facility per school, staff and public feedback, the division can provide sixth- through 12^th-grade students with distinct, appropriate and state-of-the-art educational amenities, while promoting the identity of each school and the community as a whole.”

When finished, the school’s footprint will increase from its current 110,000 square feet to 145,000 square feet overall. A general contractor has not yet been selected, but construction is due to begin early next year. The existing school facilities will stay open during modernization, and the district is aiming to have the renovated facilities fully open by the summer of 2024.

Waller, Todd & Sadler, a Woolpert Company, employs over 1,100 employees and has 42 offices in three different countries.

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HILLSBORO, Ohio—Hillsboro City Schools has contracted with Woolpert to provide full design services for its $6 million high school auditorium at Hillsboro High School, located approximately 60 miles east of Cincinnati.

The new 23,000-square-foot auditorium will seat 800 and include flexible space for changing rooms and/or locker rooms. The school has an enrollment of approximately 750 students.

Woolpert—a firm with numerous locations across the U.S. that offers architecture, engineering and geospatial (AEG) services—is the architect on this project.

Woolpert Project Manager Todd Ford—who is also a 2002 Hillsboro graduate—said the design of the auditorium will mesh with the existing school and include technology and amenities specific to the school’s needs.

“There will be a 40-inch-high stage, which creates optimal viewing from all seats, LED lighting and acoustical design to ensure those on stage are properly seen and heard by the crowd. Hillsboro will be one of the few schools in the area that can hold its entire school population in its auditorium, and we want to ensure they are served appropriately and effectively.”

The main entrance for the auditorium will be through the high school building, which will support safety and security for students and staff. The parking lot will be reconfigured to allow for this school expansion, but retain the same amount of parking spaces.

Woolpert has performed a facility master plan, and Ford has performed multiple design projects at the high school.

He said Woolpert’s acquisition of Waller, Todd & Sadler Architects this past January has deepened and broadened Woolpert’s educational design capabilities.

“Waller, Todd & Sadler’s experience with K-12 and higher education facilities is nationally known and highly respected. They know the ins and outs of high school auditoriums from ideal row breaks to ADA requirements to subsurface drainage to the pros and cons of orchestra pits. Their expertise is invaluable and will be well utilized for this and future projects.”

The general contractor for this project will be secured in early September. Construction is scheduled to begin this fall with a completion date slated for fall 2020.

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