New Residence in Wyomissing

A couple purchased a corner lot with an existing home in Wyomissing, Pennsylvania, that they wanted to replace. Downsizing from their current residence, the owners wanted a new home that reflected their lifestyle with a more open floor plan and accommodated overnight visits from family. This new residential construction and design project included multiple 3D renderings and the installation of an elevator.

3D Visualizations for Flex Building Concept Design

This project consisted of the schematic planning and design for the construction of a new 1-story 60,000 square-foot flex building with a mezzanine which is to be constructed as a shell only. We provided Schematic Planning and Design, including 3D Rendering Services. Our services also included the Project Manual for Design Development and budget estimate bidding and administration of the bidding on behalf of the owner.

Outdoor Classroom Spaces at Kutztown University

Kutztown University contracted our firm for assistance with the architectural and structural design services for a planned Outdoor Classroom.  We visited the campus to identify the elements to be located at the Classroom Site, and surveyed the elements for accurate dimensions and to determine structural foundation requirements.

Together with Structural Engineering Firm Providence Engineering, we provided a structural review and analysis of the foundation and conducted site visits during construction to review work and respond to contractor questions. We provided drawings for use by the contractor for the foundation work and a shop drawing review of reinforcing, as needed.

One of the main features of this setting is the use of new and existing materials.  Adaptive reuse of a granite slab in the University’s inventory was incorporated as a tabletop.  Principal Scott O. Graham, AIA designed a foundation and support for this impressive stone, creating a stately presence for meetings outdoors.

Knight's Pub at Stokesay Castle

Erected in 1931 by George Hiester as a honeymoon cottage for his bride, Stokesay Castle was originally designed by Fredrick A. Muhlenberg, the founder of Muhlenberg Greene Architects. The stone building, patterned after a 13th-century English castle, now includes two restaurants and several banquets, and meeting rooms of various sizes.

In order to add a casual dining atmosphere to augment the well-known fine dining available at historic Stokesay Castle, a 3,500-square-foot restaurant/bar addition was created.

The addition was constructed on the site of the original Knight’s Pub, which was an outdoor space only. The design of the addition incorporated traditional architectural styles into a contemporary design that seeks to complement the original structure.

This project allowed the Knight’s Pub to become fully enclosed, providing year-round service with seating for 150 patrons. The window systems slide away fully to maintain the open-air atmosphere of the former all-outdoor original pub.

The new addition of the Knight’s Pub at Stokesay Castle in Reading, Pennsylvania

Vertis Warehouse and Shipping Dock Addition

Due to growth, a large United States producer of advertising inserts needed to expand their warehouse space. Muhlenberg Greene Architects provided planning and design services for a 48,000 square foot high-bay storage warehouse addition to the company’s existing plant. The project included the construction of new truck docks, mezzanine office space, the design of a new circulation pattern for their existing parking lots, additional trailer storage areas, and air conditioning of the existing plant area.

Press Hall and Mail Room Addition to the Reading Eagle Company

Reading Eagle Company planning and design for the expansion of an existing building to house a new state-of-the-art press. The project required the demolition of several existing structures and the new construction of a 77,000-square-foot addition. The expansion included a new mail room and ancillary spaces for the control room, maintenance shops, mechanical/electrical equipment, three truck docks, and four shipping docks.  

A basement level was constructed for ink storage, paper deliveries, and the reel room for the new press. The ground floor provides space for the mail room and houses the inserter and palletizer equipment as well as the main floor of the press hall. The 2nd floor consists of a mezzanine level for the press hall and provides space for the control room, computer-to-plate room, and electrical equipment for the press operation.

The 3rd floor was designed for mechanical equipment surrounding the press hall. The press hall was an open space extending 56 feet above the ground floor level to house a new press. A critical aspect of the planning and management of the construction process for this project was the requirement to maintain the daily operation of printing and shipping the newspaper.

Gateway Ticketing Systems Global Headquarters

The new 42,000 square foot Gateway Ticketing Systems Global Headquarters opened in August 2014 for its 86 employees, offering expansive views and ample amenities.

The “Main Street” of the building is flooded with light from the south facing clerestory, which is carefully designed to allow plentiful warming light in the cooler months, but also blocks harsh mid-summer sun.  More importantly, the central space provides a convenient circulation path, specifically designed to provide proximity and access between groups that have regular interaction.  A large lunch room will provide ample seating for everyone in the company and serve as a gathering location for the frequent potlucks, barbecues and other team-building events.

Keystone Villa at Ephrata

An innovative new retirement community in Ephrata, Pennsylvania. The design-build project, led by Hollenbach Construction, is part of the Keystone Villa Retirement Communities. Keystone Villa is a Berks County-based retirement community with locations in Fleetwood and Douglassville. 

The Ephrata location is designed around one of the former Artworks at Doneckers buildings and involved the demolition of several ancillary buildings of an old shoe factory, as well as the renovation of a 35,000-square-foot mill building.  This wing of the original building was incorporated into the construction of the two new wings, and they comprise the new 139-unit apartment building.  Amenities include a second-floor outdoor terrace, multiple activity centers, a fitness center, an outdoor courtyard, a beauty salon, and a library.  Living unit options include independent living, personal care, and memory care.

Ranch Home gets a Suite Addition

A Mother-Daughter suite addition to an existing ranch home in Boyertown, PA with the primary design goal to create an addition that feels like a separate home. The project was designed independently of the existing residence, connected to allow easy interior circulation between the aging parents and adult child’s spaces. Budget constraints and zoning limitations excluded expanding the building footprint on the site. Our vertical addition addressed this concern.

To create the effect of a distinct home, we designed a Welcoming Room entrance and elevated deck at the rear of the building. A stairway following the vaulted ceiling of the 1st-floor addition leads to a FULL second-floor, 2-bedroom, 1-bath dwelling complete with a full kitchen and laundry.

Congregation Gets a New Facility

A former J.C. Penney department store, built in the 1950s, was adapted to accommodate a growing congregation in New Jersey. Located on the western edge of downtown Dover, the building was home to a flag factory, which had been closed for about five years.

Muhlenberg Greene Architects designed a new 10,000-square-foot chapel under one 30,000-square-foot roof, combining two local congregations poised for growth. The store building was converted into a church, which required bringing it up to code, and the addition of a 40-foot steeple.

Read more about the project in this article from The Daily Record.

Read more about the project in this article from Religious Products News.

Conrad Weiser West Elementary Additions and Renovations

The newly expanded and renovated Conrad Weiser West Elementary School was completed in time for the 2012 school year, and thrilled students and staff alike. The original building was completely renovated, including an expanded Library and a new, full Gymnasium. The school serves grades Kindergarten through Fourth Grade, and the project achieved LEED Silver Green Building Certification. The additions and renovations were designed to address the need for additional classroom space, upgrade the 42-year-old infrastructure, address accessibility, security, and building code issues, and provide an improved environment that meets current standards for staff and students.

The design reused much of the existing building and recycled many of the materials that were removed during the project.  The high-performance school building uses energy-efficient technologies for the operation and control of the mechanical systems, daylight harvesting to maximize natural light in the occupied spaces, along with energy and water-conserving plumbing fixtures.

The existing building was an all-electric facility, constructed prior to the energy crisis of the early 1970s.  The new design utilizes natural gas service to reduce energy costs for heating, cooking, and hot water needs, and a new, state-of-the-art geothermal heat pump system for classroom heating and cooling.  Through the use of automated building controls, the mechanical and electrical systems reduce energy use and assist the District in reducing its carbon footprint.

The new building incorporates modern systems and controls that provide a healthier interior environment, designed to support and encourage the educational program.  Healthier environments are created by improved ventilation systems that effectively circulate and filter adequate air volumes through the spaces, combined with natural daylight to help stimulate the students and staff.  The materials selected have been chosen to prevent the circulation of harmful chemicals and dust.

Accessible Pathways at Kutztown University

Kutztown University is committed to equal access and to providing an environment in which individuals with disabilities can fully access programs, services, activities, and facilities. University shuttles are equipped to transport students with permanent or temporary disabilities between University facilities and the local area. Each bus is equipped with a motorized lift to allow wheelchair or motorized scooter access to the service.

Muhlenberg Greene Architects was commissioned to provide a way to make the campus more handicap accessible by reviewing all sidewalks, ramps, and curb ramps located on campus. Due to the large number of problematic areas proposed on campus, the workload went through several phases.

The first phase consisted of curb ramp modifications, existing handrail replacement, patches of roadway and parking lots being repaved, as well as several sections of sidewalks to be repaved to correct simple slope issues or ramps designated in certain locations to allow for accessibility. The second phase was to design new pathways using fewer ramps, but rather to use existing sidewalks or to design new ones to give the most direct route possible.

Alvernia University Schuylkill Center

Alvernia University traces its roots back to 1926, when the Bernardine Sisters of the Third Order of Saint Francis established an orphanage in what’s now known as Francis Hall. The institution became a four-year liberal arts school in 1958 and two years later, received its charter from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

Located in Pottsville, PA, the Schuylkill Center has adult education and graduate degree programs, offering flexible scheduling with day, evening and weekend classes. Muhlenberg Greene Architects provided the planning and design services for the satellite campus, located in a former strip-mall retail space. The Project consisted of the design for the tenant fit-out of an, approximately, 10,000 sq.ft. lease area to create new classrooms, a commons area, and administrative offices. The new campus building provides much needed space for the University’s adult education programs.

Kutztown University Old Main A-Wing Elevator Addition

Built in 1864-65, Old Main is the oldest and most historic building on campus. In our early years at the close of the nineteenth century, Old Main was the sole University building, providing classroom, administrative, and living space.

Today, Old Main is a modern and vibrant educational haven, housing the university's Computer Science and Information Technology, Criminal Justice, Counseling and Student Affairs, Modern Languages, Music, Philosophy, Political Science, Psychology, Social Work and Sport Management, and Leadership Studies departments. You will also find the offices of Grants and Sponsored Projects, Housing, Dining and Residential Services, Public Safety, Social Equity, and Student Support Services, as well as the Women's Center and the LGBTQ.

Muhlenberg Greene Architects was commissioned to design an elevator addition to the historically significant Old Main building for Kutztown University. The elevator was planned to provide accessible entry to the ‘A’ wing of the building, which was being converted from dormitory rooms to faculty offices. The new addition permits access to the offices and maintains the secure separation of the wing from the dormitory rooms remaining in the center portion of the building. The exterior design was detailed to complement the historic character and quality of Old Main. Interior finishes for the lobby at the main floor landing were designed to match the existing wood trims and moldings of the original building. Access from the elevator lobbies to the existing building was developed through the existing window opening of the original building. The addition includes a slate roof, exterior cornice moldings and trims, and brick detailing to integrate with the original structure.

Kutztown University Deatrick Hall Renovations

Deatrick Hall is named in memory of William Wilberforce Deatrick (1853-1925), who spent the majority of his years at Kutztown as the chair of the English department. Many of Deatrick's photographs of campus tell the story of the institution from the early 1900s. In addition to faculty meeting spaces and SMART conference rooms, a satellite office for the Center for Achievement and Success (CASA) is available for residents to use. Residents living in this hall will also enjoy laundry facilities on each floor, as well as computers available in lounges.

Muhlenberg Greene Architects was commissioned to renovate Kutztown University’s  Deatrick Hall Dormitory. The alterations included mechanical and electrical upgrades to the building, interior alterations to provide a new lobby layout, renovations to the laundry room, improvements to the dorm rooms, major renovation of the resident director’s quarters, and upgrades to finishes, doors, and hardware throughout the building.

Exterior improvements included the replacement of all entrances, installation of new windows around the building, stair tower window walls, partial roof replacement, and a new ramp at front entrance to provide accessibility for the building.

Muhlenberg Elementary Center Addition and Renovation

Muhlenberg Greene Architects provided the planning and design services for the Muhlenberg School District’s Elementary Center building. The facility was developed as a centralized replacement for the undersized and outdated Primary and Intermediate School facilities that were located on the District Campus. The design of the new facility, planned to accommodate 1350 students in grades K-5, evolved as an Addition and Renovation to the existing Primary School Building.

The new Elementary Center, which incorporates the two-story classroom wing of the existing Primary School, was designed around a central courtyard that established a strong interior focal point for the students; and allowed the addition to be constructed while the existing facility remained in service. The angular geometry of the resulting central core provided a natural visual break that greatly reduced the perceived size of the building, resulting in a smaller scale presence on the site.

Rural Opportunities of Reading Building Renovations

Rural Opportunities Inc. Pennsylvania Division is a licensed daycare provider serving the Reading area. A private, non-profit charitable purposes multi-state organization, they provide a number of services including housing, housing development and rehab, community and small business development, employment and training, health and safety,and advocacy services to migrant and seasonal farm workers, and other disadvantaged individuals and families and communities since it was founded in 1969.

The Project consisted of renovations to a vacant brick one-story plus basement building located at 121 South Second Street, Reading, PA. The design incorporated the separation of corporate/ training spaces with a daycare environment for persons attending training and assistance classes or working within the program.

Project responsibilities for this renovation and rehabilitation project included the architectural planning and design, as well as the mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and sprinkler engineering. This project was funded through Federal financing sources and incorporated the Davis-Bacon Prevailing Act and other Federal project guidelines into the project specifications.

Conrad Weiser Middle School Renovations

Conrad Weiser Middle School is a public middle school in Heidelberg Township. The school is a federally designated Title I school. This project involved the renovation of an existing 199,000 square foot school.  Design issues focused on reorganization and altering the former high school to function as a middle school facility.

The alterations include a total mechanical and electrical upgrade to the building, asbestos abatement, selective demolition, interior alterations to provide new classroom layouts, renovations to the auditorium and stage, improvements to the gymnasium and locker rooms, major renovation of the main office, guidance suite, and nurse’s suite, upgrade of the food service, and general upgrade to finishes, doors, and hardware throughout the building.

Reading Muhlenberg Career and Technology Center Additions and Renovations

Reading Muhlenberg Career & Technology Center (RMCTC) provides career and technical education programming to prepare secondary and adult students for life after school. RMCTC completed a renovation and expansion project, increasing the size of the building by 33 percent. The facilities are modern, and the equipment is state-of-the-art.  With this expansion, students are now able to enroll in one of 31 career and technical education programs.

The improvements to the existing Vocational Technical School were designed to upgrade the existing structure and systems, and to provide additional program areas to meet the increasing needs of the Reading School District  and the Muhlenberg School District (Joint Operators of this Career Technical Center).

The project included the construction of a new automotive trades building, and a 2-story classroom addition to provide four new program areas. Additions were constructed at other areas of the building to provide expanded space for the building trades programs and for culinary and baking programs. These additions are 1-story structures. The physical layout of the existing building and program locations were altered to provide additional area to the programs that require it, and reduce program spaces that have a decreasing demand. Renovations to the Administrative office area, guidance suite, and business office  for the existing building, including comprehensive upgrades of the mechanical and electrical systems, were completed.

CHOR Day Academy

The Children’s Home of Reading’s CHOR Day Academy is licensed by the Pennsylvania Department of Education as a private academic school. The Academy serves children grades five through twelve who have special and alternative education needs that can be better met in an alternative setting.

The renovation to an alternative education center’s existing building was approximately 23,300 square feet, which was increased by a 750-square-foot addition. This addition provides a new flex-space area for different educational programs and provides services in small-group settings. The new layout consists of classrooms, offices, a therapy room, a nurse’s station, a new kitchen and cafeteria, a library, and a computer room.