Big Picture Charter School Redevelopment

Wick Fisher White was engaged by Shift Capital, a community-based real estate developer, to provide MEP design and construction administration services for the Big Picture Charter School, located in Philadelphia, PA.  Under the project scope, an abandoned, two-story historic building, originally constructed as a manufacturing facility, was gutted and fully renovated into a neighborhood charter high school. The renovations of the 22,000 square foot building included the creation of classrooms, administrative space, a kitchen, a large multi-purpose room, academic support spaces, and new building entrances. New HVAC, plumbing, electrical, and telecom systems were provided throughout, and existing sprinkler systems were modified extensively for the new layout.    

The project included many challenges, mostly due to the condition of the existing building, which had fallen into disrepair after sitting vacant for many years. Under the project scope, existing windows and wood-framed floors were replaced, and stairs and ramps were added/modified to meet current code accessibility and egress requirements.  Existing utilities to the building were undersized for the proposed new use and needed to be replaced, including gas, water, drainage, and electrical service. Based on its tight positioning within the residential neighborhood, there was no place to locate an exterior utility transformer. This required the construction of a new electrical service vault within the building to house the utility provider’s service gear. New structural dunnage was provided on the roof to support the mechanical equipment.

Construction of Phase 1, which includes the entire first floor and a third of the second floor, will be completed in January of 2024.  Phase 2, which includes the remainder of the second floor, is anticipated to be constructed in 2026 in conjunction with the School’s projections for enrollment growth.