School District of Philadelphia — Murrell Dobbins CTE High School, Philadelphia, PA

Our team provided full architectural services for a major $36 million renovation to Murrell Dobbins CTE High School. The school was one of the last designed by architect Irwin T. Catharine in 1937 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The renovation has established a priority of preservation and restoration of traditional design elements within the building. The significant expansion of instructional spaces for career and technical education, with specialized designs for each CTE program, will be a hallmark of Dobbins’ transformation. Providing for the school’s expanding CTE curriculum and 21st-century educational goals will require the creative adaptation of existing spaces and building fabric.

Further renovations include: updates and modifications to classrooms in accordance with School District standards; extensive upgrades and replacement of select building systems; restoration and preservation of unique and historic characteristics of the building; and reorganization of administrative and other core educational spaces. Phasing and construction logistics will factor into the design, as the school will remain open throughout construction