Overview of Academic Building Addition
The Academic Building Addition & Renovations project helped Delaware Valley Friends School (DV Friends) reshape its Paoli campus around access, clarity, and welcome. New front and rear entry vestibules, exterior ramps, and canopies improved how students, staff, and visitors arrive. Warfel also constructed a two-story, 8,130-square-foot building with additional classrooms and expanded administrative space. About 1,975 square feet of interior renovations connected the addition to the existing school. Together, the work improved campus access while supporting the school community’s growing needs.
Academic Building Addition Campus Entry
The Academic Building Addition created a new central reception area where the school’s two buildings meet. Visitors now pass through this shared point, whether they enter from the front or rear. That change gave the campus a clearer sense of arrival and simplified daily movement through the school. Just as important, the new design made the building fully accessible for the first time in its history. It also helped create a more welcoming experience for the people using the campus each day.
Learning Spaces and Building Connections
The new two-story building gave DV Friends added room for learning, administration, and daily school operations. Additional classrooms supported academic needs, while expanded administrative space helped the school serve its growing community. Meanwhile, the interior renovation focused on the areas where the new addition meets the existing structure. Those connections required careful work because old and new spaces needed to function as one campus. By focusing on those transition points, the project helped the addition feel connected to the school’s existing rhythm.
Active School Construction and Summer Delivery
Construction began in April 2024 while the school remained active. Warfel used experience in occupied school environments to guide planning, safety, and coordination. The team aligned work with the academic calendar, summer camps, and sporting events to reduce disruption. During the summer, crews faced a tight three-month window before students returned. That work included building and ramp connections in the existing hallway, along with essential MEP work.
Project Completion and Campus Value
Despite the compressed summer schedule, Warfel delivered the project on time and met the school’s needs and expectations. The completed project reflects careful planning, steady coordination, and respect for daily school life. For Delaware Valley Friends School, the work created a more accessible and welcoming campus entry. It also added classroom and administrative space that supports the school community now and into the future.
