Neeta School

Medford Lakes, New Jersey

Firm

The Gibson Tarquini Group

Client

Medford Lakes Board of Education

Area

20,000 sq.ft.

Total Cost

$7,100,000

Completion Date

02/2004

Designed to support the district’s educational program, the additions and alterations to the Neeta School include a new 20,000-square-foot multipurpose room/gymnasium and support space addition. Land is at a premium in many areas, and schools are returning to their traditional roles as centers of communities. The school is designed with dual-use concepts; the community uses the multipurpose room/gymnasium in the evenings and on weekends.
Functional and flexible learning is integrated into the design of the 9,000-square-foot multipurpose room, which features two teaching stations and a full-sized middle school basketball court. Bleacher space is provided for sporting events. A stage is provided for school and community productions. The roof trusses provide ample clearance for all physical-education activities. The sound-deadening characteristics of the acoustic black walls and roof deck allow for quiet physical-education classes. The rubberized floor with school graphics is attractive, flexible and durable. Adjacent changing rooms and a new kitchen facility support the main space.
The former multipurpose room was undersized for the student population and lacked spectator seating for sports events. Core facilities upgrades for this project were funded in part by New Jersey’s $8.6 billion school construction initiative.