Arts Academy Charter School Stage: for Community Performance

“We wanted a space that would not only showcase the incredible talent of our students but also invite the community to engage with the arts in a meaningful way” – Bill Fitzpatrick, Executive Director of AACMS

We wanted a space that would not only showcase the incredible talent of our students but also invite the community to engage with the arts in a meaningful way” –Bill Fitzpatrick, Executive Director of AACMS

2024 Award of Excellence, Small Project Category
-AIA Eastern PA

4/4 FAST FACTS

Construction Type:Wood Frame
Use:Education, Performance, Assembly
Location:Allentown, PA
Team:Jerdon Construction (CM)

4/4 Architecture served as architect for The Arts Academy Charter Middle School (AACMS) outdoor community performance space, a collaboration between architecture and education that supports student expression and flexible use. The design creates a dynamic setting for community performance across drama, dance, and other forms. In addition, it addresses outdoor challenges of weather, visibility, and acoustics.

Challenges and Requirements

  • No space for community performance: AACMS previously lacked a dedicated venue for community performance across music, theater, and dance.
  • Outdoor environmental constraints: The design needed to address weather, visibility, and acoustics in an outdoor setting.
  • Regulatory and permitting constraints: Impervious coverage limits, township regulations, and construction permitting presented key challenges.
  • Flexibility and adaptability: The space needed to remain flexible, with no permanent seating or fixed configurations to support varied community performance uses.
  • Accessibility and site integration: An accessibility ramp and use of the site’s natural slope were required to support inclusive access and enhance community performance.
The thoughtfully integrated accessibility ramp ensures students can participate equally, reinforcing the stage’s commitment to inclusivity and engagement.

The thoughtfully integrated accessibility ramp ensures students can participate equally, reinforcing the stage’s commitment to inclusivity and engagement.

ApproACH

  • Site-driven acoustics: The stage was oriented to leverage the site’s natural slope, enhancing acoustics and strengthening the connection between built and natural environment.
  • Shaping sound and experience: angled walls and roof were designed to amplify sound naturally and direct audience focus toward performers.
  • Flexible configuration: Designed without permanent seating or fixed elements, allowing students to adapt the space for different performances and introduce temporary elements like draped fabrics.
  • Integrated structure and access: Inset supports create the illusion of a hovering stage, and an accessibility ramp ensures equal participation.
  • Collaborative delivery: Jerdon Construction and Bradbury Engineering helped address impervious coverage limits, township regulations, and construction permitting.
  • Material expression: Wood planks lend warmth and support acoustics, while metal siding introduces an industrial feel reflecting youthful energy and Musikfest.

The inviting nature of the AACMS outdoor stage is ideal for both spontaneous gatherings and planned performances.

Results

  • Dedicated community performance space: Created a dedicated outdoor community performance space that supports music, theater, and dance at AACMS.
  • Flexible use environment: Provides a flexible environment where students can adapt the space for a variety of community performance formats.
  • Improved acoustics and sightlines: Enhances acoustics and sightlines through orientation to the site’s natural slope and angled architectural elements.
  • Symbolic and functional impact: Establishes a venue that reflects AACMS’s commitment to creativity and student expression through community performance.
  • Successful project delivery: Delivered through collaboration with Jerdon Construction and Bradbury Engineering while navigating impervious coverage limits, township regulations, and permitting requirements.
With no fixed seating and a flexible design, the AACMS outdoor stage invites the community to gather informally, encouraging picnic-style audiences that foster a relaxed and inclusive performance atmosphere.

With the stage now complete, the school has ushered in a new era of arts education and community engagement. Students have a space to develop their craft, and the broader community has a venue that will host performances for years to come.

Read More Here!

Want to learn more about the Cantelmi project? Read our blog post linked above for more details, plus perspectives from the client and project team.

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“This project is about more than just a stage – it’s about giving our students a space that inspires them. It’s about showing them that their art matters, that their performances deserve a proper home.” – Bill Fitzpatrick, Executive Director of AACMS

The AACMS outdoor stage reflects a deliberate blend of durability and visual elegance, with the school as a backdrop reinforcing its role as a central gathering place for students and the arts community.
The inviting nature of the AACMS outdoor stage is ideal for both spontaneous gatherings and planned performances.
The AACMS outdoor stage reflects a deliberate blend of durability and visual elegance, with the school as a backdrop reinforcing its role as a central gathering place for students and the arts community.
With no fixed seating and a flexible design, the AACMS outdoor stage invites the community to gather informally, encouraging picnic-style audiences that foster a relaxed and inclusive performance atmosphere.
The thoughtfully integrated accessibility ramp ensures students can participate equally, reinforcing the stage’s commitment to inclusivity and engagement.
The stage’s open-ended design and hovering roof frame performances while preserving uninterrupted sightlines, inviting audiences to relax on the lawn.