Stony Brook Elementary School
HOPEWELL VALLEY REGIONAL SCHOOL DISTRICT
Pennington, New Jersey
Size: 88,622 SF
Capacity: 540, Grades: K-5
Stony Brook Elementary School is a unique educational facility that supports the school district’s expansive educational philosophy and provides a creative learning environment for students to “be their personal best.” An overall theme was developed for the new school - “Searching for Truth, Appreciating Beauty, Demonstrating Goodness.” Architects and educators collaborated to express these principles throughout the facility in a “reaching for the stars” theme. This theme is first introduced on the exterior facade of the building with decorative masonry stars featured as “icons” at the main entrance. Once inside the lobby the theme is enhanced with blue terrazzo stars designed into the white terrazzo floor and ceiling tiles that feature cut-out stars. Beyond the main entry, the school’s design includes a spacious rotunda featuring a magnificent celestial mural created and painted by a renowned artist. The rotunda serves as a central axis point to the school’s core facilities - gymnasium, media center and cafetorium - all which radiate from the lobby. Classrooms are included in the two-story wing. Also, the school was constructed with a Geothermal HVAC system. This project was awarded Second Place New Buildings in the 2003 New Jersey School Boards Association Third Annual Architects Competition & Awards Display.
"FVHD are not your typical architects. Their professionalism, passion, dedication to our district and their craft make them stand apart from a talented field of architects in New Jersey. FVHD's conceptual and theoretical ideas make them a valuable resource for my team and we never hesitate to turn to them for guidance. Their close proximity to our district has allowed them on countless occasions to stop over on a moment's notice to review a myriad of issues all without additional charge or hourly invoices. As our Architect of Record, the FVHD team have worked closely with my team in the development of our Long Range Facility Plan. They have demonstrated creativity and flexibility while designing the district's capital projects. Their team is always receptive to design changes necessitated by cost issues or the direction of the Board of Education. Under their guidance, Hopewell Valley has been able to complete many leading-edge and innovative projects. I have known other architects with talents equivalent to FVHD. However, many of them lacked their good nature and humility, and few demonstrated the genuine passion for their craft that they have exhibited over and over."