Located within a quiet residential neighborhood, the IEF Elementary School is a successful blend of technology, efficiency and aesthetic sensitivity that combined to create inspirational educational space for school children. The original scope of the project was a small addition and link between two building wings. Upon the discovery of mold in the crawl space of the older school wing, the scope of the project radically changed to include the abatement and demolition over half of the school and the construction of a new 45,000 sq foot addition that comprised classroom wings, a gymnasium, computer labs, media center, offices and specialty spaces.

In addition to having the building visually blend in with the community, a conscious decision was made during the planning of the new addition to have the building set back further off of the streets. This distance allowed for dedicated and controlled bus loop and drop off lanes to be created that provided an added layer of safety for the school children.
Additionally, a decorative brick and black iron perimeter fence was installed to help control access to the site.

Of specific note, due to the amount of demolition, renovation and new construction that was required, much of the educational process was relocated to temporary classroom units. Situated adjacent to the existing building to remain, this assemblage of spaces was in operation for portions of two school years. Through it all, the Board of Education and staff was able to maintain the high level of service to the students and continue to deliver the curriculum uninterrupted.

As part of a re-aligning the grades within the school district, the Green Brook Board of Education endeavored to construct additions and alterations at the Green Brook middle School. One of the primary goals of the project was to create a centralized community atmosphere for grades five and six that was semi-independent from the seventh and eighth grade sections of the school. In order to accomplish this, a majority of the 27,000 square foot addition was dedicated to new support and educational spaces for these grades, which included classrooms and a new multi-purpose room that is used as a cafeteria, which was supported by a new warming kitchen.

Additionally, project created new administrative areas for both the Middle School as well as the Board of Education. These spaces originally were buried within the center of the existing building, which complicated operational logistics and overall building security. With respects to the exterior of the building, the new centrally located building entrance, along with a building wide window and door replacement initiative help to bring cohesion and clarity to the building façades.

Of particular concern during the planning and construction of the building was the high water table of the surrounding community. Resulting from this, the new addition needed to be constructed higher than the existing building, and a system of ramps and intricate building foundations installed to connect and support the structures.