Swig Arts Center Expansion at The Peddie School

Established in 1864, The Peddie School is a private college preparatory school located in Hightstown, New Jersey, serving 9th to 12th grades and a small post-graduate class. The school has a rich history, and over the years, it has established itself as a premier educational institution in the United States. As the school’s arts programs continued to grow, there was a need for a major expansion and renovation of their existing arts complex. The project consisted of constructing a two-story steel-framed addition to the Swig Arts Center, located on the 280- acre campus along Peddie Lake. The new addition increased the available space by approximately 11,000 square feet and provided the school with improved and appropriately sized facilities to support its growing arts programs.

French & Parrello Associates (FPA) was enlisted to provide consulting engineering services throughout the planning, design, and construction phases of the project, which spanned over three years. FPA’s services included geotechnical, structural, and construction administration services.

One of the challenges faced during construction was related to the below grade areas project; the lower level of the addition is situated approximately 12 feet below grade to the west and at grade to the east due to a steep transition in grade from west to east within the area of the addition. Additionally, the presence of low permeability cohesive deposits in the area meant that perched groundwater during periods of heavy precipitation were anticipated. This required careful planning and collaboration between the contractor and FPA’s team to ensure that the dewatering of the construction site was done correctly. The below grade areas of the building addition were also provided with slab underdrains, perimeter drains, and waterproofing measures to keep the finished, below grade areas of the theatre dry at all times.