The Kennedy/Boulevard Building’s exterior was newly renovated in 2015, and Shumake Architecture was tasked to perform interior build-out work to convert it to an academic/administrative building. The primary design challenge was to have a unified building with exterior and interior design that complement each other (despite being constructed separately), and clearly defined office and classroom spaces that address issues such as sound control and circulation.
Both the first and second floors have lobby spaces, single-occupant office spaces and large classrooms that seat approximately 34 students each. Each lobby are at the main entry point to each floor that service both the staff and students, with large storefront windows that allow for clear view of the scenic Agliano park on campus. The lobbies also incorporate the prominent metal panels of the existing exterior in order to achieve a seamless exterior-to-interior design. The students, however, can utilize a much more quiet and private space than the lobby on the second floor with the addition of a study area. The offices also have additional service rooms such as a breakroom, storage, supplies and copy rooms.
Two challenges had to be address in the area of sound control: housing a mechanical room on the first floor in close proximity to offices and classrooms, and classrooms with its daily functions adjacent to office spaces. To tackle these issues, specific wall partition types had to be utilized to contain sound by having less transfer of sound vibrations through the walls: a “double wall” that has a second furred layer of gypsum board and a “thick wall” type that has two rows of insulated metal studs. The double wall type was utilized in the wall space between the mechanical room and classroom on the first floor, and the thick wall type was utilized around the classrooms on both floors.
Overall, the space planning achieved a cohesive plan that addressed the building’s dual function as both administrative and academic, all while incorporating elements of the existing exterior design to create a unified design.
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