The Wayne Highlands School District hired Quandel as the construction manager on their high school renovation project. While this project included renovations to the school’s bathrooms and kitchen area, the most significant transformation was the school’s auditorium.
The auditorium was transformed into a state-of-the-art performing arts facility. A significant challenge of the project was that the upgrades and renovations all needed to occur within the original auditorium and stage space. Collaborating with the school district, design team, and trade partners, we incorporated modern technology into a 65-year-old space, including all necessary stage systems, rigging, lights, audio technology, projector, and air conditioning.
Installation of the projector provided a unique challenge to overcome. It was determined that the projector was too heavy and oversized to hang on the wall where it was initially planned. The project team found a solution by cutting a hole through the acoustic wall to create a more traditional projection booth, which saved significant time and money that would have been incurred to rework the original design to hang the projector.
Another change to the scope was related to installing the stage rigging system. To incorporate the modern performance equipment, our team needed to modify the existing steel spacing and move the HVAC system. Upon renovating the stage floor, macadam was discovered and had to be tested. Fortunately, it was determined to be dry, so there were no further issues after testing. The auditorium features Irwin Seats, a leading seating provider in the theater and arena markets. The seats are sized and spaced to leave no bad seats in the house. No seat has another directly in front, providing a clear view of the stage for everyone in the audience. The entire auditorium was made ADA-compliant, including handicapped seating and removable chairs to accommodate additional wheelchairs. Our team also managed the installation of a chair lift to the stage to be even more inclusive for performers with mobility issues who cannot use the stage stairs.
This significant renovation project was completed within a tight schedule. Work began after the finale of a show performed in February 2022 and needed to be completed in time for Honesdale High School’s performance of Grease in April 2023. The key to our success was regular communication and collaboration. School officials even commented on how impressive our day-to-day communications were in facilitating the work with minimal disruption to students and faculty, in addition to bi-weekly meetings and regular progress reports.
The results of this project have been nothing short of fantastic for both the school and the community. Since the completion of the project, Honesdale High School was able to host graduation in the auditorium for the first time in 30 years, allowing students to walk across the stage to get their diplomas. Students in the performing arts are getting life-changing opportunities because of the installed modern equipment, which rivals that of Broadway theaters.
