RFQ #ARPS 18-119 Fort River Elementary School Feasibility Study May 30, 2018 Amherst-Pelham Regional School District Amherst, MA Drummey Rosane Anderson, Inc. 235 Bear Hill Road, 4th Floor Waltham, MA 02451 617.964.1700 www.draws.com May 29, 2018 Anthony P. Delaney Town Accountant’s Office Town Hall 4 Boltwood Avenue Amherst, MA 01002 Re: Fort River Elementary School Feasibility Study Dear Mr. Delaney and Members of the Fort River School Building Committee: We commend Amherst for the time, effort and resources that have already been invested in planning for the future of Fort River Elementary School. Drummey Rosane Anderson, Inc. (DRA) is pleased to submit our qualifications to provide innovative architectural services to assist in this valuable undertaking. DRA is one of New England’s recognized leaders in the design of public schools and has been doing so for over 60 years. DRA is a 95-year old educational planning, architectural, and interior design firm of 33 staff members, including architects, planners and interior designers who are among New England’s most experienced designers of educational facilities. We understand that planning and design require collaboration, and the importance of being able to efficiently, and convincingly bring forth solutions that the Amherst community will understand, embrace, and support. A planning effort such as yours requires a team with a collaborative mindset, strong leadership, and the willingness to explore all potential avenues with a creative outlook. The team must be capable of concurrently considering budget, facility needs, resources, and the educational program in the pursuit of the best long-term solution for your students. Our knowledge of elementary level educational planning and design has been garnered over many years with studies and construction projects similar to yours. Our collaborative process and ability to integrate our efforts with those of our clients consistently results in facilities plans that gain the support of voters allowing our clients to ultimately achieve their goals. As the enclosed materials demonstrate, the DRA team brings you the following advantages: • Unparalleled experience in the design of schools in Massachusetts • Extensive experience in the design of elementary schools in Massachusetts – Williamsburg, Hopkinton, Springfield, Revere, Georgetown, Westford, and Arlington • A highly developed community engagement and support program that has helped communities like yours develop consensus and support. • Demonstrated experience incorporating current technology, energy efficiency and “green” design strategies resulting in high performance schools, and lower operating costs We are passionate about planning and design for schools because of the positive impact that well-planned spaces can have on users, whether a student learning a new math concept, an educator developing an engaging lesson plan or parents watching their daughter on stage for the first time. We strive to create spaces that encourage discovery and interaction, strengthen community, create memories, and ultimately inspire students to reach their full potential. Ultimately, our goal is your success. As you will see from the attached materials, our team will partner with the community on this project to find a solution that meet the needs of the district. Our process will help create a functional, engaging, efficient 21st Century teaching and learning environment that will serve the community for years to come. My colleagues and I are keenly interested in this project and assure you of our personal commitment to making it a success. Kindly review the materials and feel free to contact me if you have any questions. We look forward to discussing this exciting work with you further. Sincerely, DRUMMEY ROSANE ANDERSON, INC. James A. Barrett, AIA, LEED ALEP- accredited learning environment planner We received addendum #1 dated May 24, 2018. Financial statements submitted in a separate envelope. DRA and our consultants presently have, or can obtain, the insurance requirements listed under Minimum Qualifications. project approach RA has focused on public school design for the past 60 years. DOur educational planning and design process is based on the extensive knowledge and expertise of our staff and consultants. Our approach is to begin an open dialogue at the first meeting and to continue this conversation to the last meeting. We know how to ask critical questions, adjusting our approach to the many different com- munities and individuals who live in a town such as Amherst. We lis- ten carefully and respond thoughtfully, having learned that an in- teractive approach with open and frequent communication between the professional team and the client is essential to finding effective COLLABORATE and appropriate solutions. to educational facility needs Every member of the leadership of the town and Amherst Public Schools, all of the students, and each resident and tax payer is a vital member of the team. Input and feedback are LISTEN an essential part of a successful school planning process. We What do you feel you need? We have read and reviewed the believe a flexible and interactive approach with broad par- RFQ and developed our initial understanding of the potential ticipation fosters respect, trust and a shared commitment to issues and desires inherent in Amherst’s request. We LISTEN the project. We COLLABORATE in an open and balanced ap- actively to ensure that wehear your voice clearly while build- proach that generates the consensus necessary for outstand- ing a comprehensive understanding of your goals, desires and ing results. requirements. LISTENING allows us to build a solid foundation from which to offer our opinion and input, all with the aim of building public understanding and support of the project as it moves forward. LEARN Our goal is to fully understand the educational mission and philosophy of Amherst as well as the strategic vision for your schools. At the heart of any school planning study are the people who occupy the school. As we LEARN through our con- versations and efforts, their world comes into sharper focus for us. We need to know the multitude of issues that impact CREATE the district and, especially, the current and future Fort River Together we find great solutions to meet the needs of the stu- Elementary School students. We measure our success by our dents and teachers in balance with the capability of the pub- ability to learn how to speak your “language” and recognize lic to support and finance the solution. Your vision and pri- your challenges and opportunities that can pave the way to a orities direct the deliberate and persistent search for options. successful project. We maintain a continuous dialogue to infuse and calibrate the project to meet your objectives. With communication, collab- oration and experience we CREATE customized educational solutions. RFQ #ARPS 18-119: RFQ #ARPS 18-119: Fort River Elementary School Feasibility Study Fort River Elementary School Feasibility Study 1 Facility Condition and Utilization Survey project approach Step 1: PROJECT INITIATION Our team will begin the process by hosting a Kickoff Meeting with the School Building Committee, key representatives of the Fort River Elementary School and Amherts Public Schools, town administration, and others identified as key to decision- making and community engagement. At this meeting we will establish the administrative team for the project, identify the goals and scope of the project, and review our proposed work- plan and schedule. We will confirm the communication pro- cedures and other protocols, including use of a project website to aid in communicating project information as appropriate for the entire project team. Step 2: INFORMATION COLLECTION / LISTENING Our team utilizes in-house expertise to assure that past plan- to pursue design solutions that are agile, able to accommodate ning reports and efforts are integrated into our schematic and the educational philosophy on opening day while embodying design development process. D. Paul Moore has been with the ability to accommodate an evolving educational approach DRA for more than 35 years. Dr. John Tindall-Gibson has been in the future with as little alteration to the physical plant as involved with teaching and administration of public schools for possible. over three decades, joining DRA after having served as Super- intendent of Schools in three New England districts. Paul and Paul and John will lead the team in exploring options and alter- John will review and assess previously developed information natives to fulfill the mission and goals of the proposed project. to begin building a data base that reflects the current needs of John has an unsurpassed level of educational experience, and the Fort River Elementary School. We always review previous- will facilitate the conversation and discovery of various educa- ly developed material with a commitment to bringing a fresh tional modalities that best support the District’s requirements outlook and no preconceived notions of what may work. Paul as ultimately delineated in the educational specifications de- and John have each led studies for individual schools as well veloped during this phase of the work. While being a skillful as for entire districts. We feel this experience provides a fun- educational planning specialist, Paul can clearly convey key damentally sound background to the current planning effort. educational requirements to all disciplines of our design team,