O’Donnell & Naccarato (O&N), a leading and employee-owned structural engineering firm with an office in Mountainside, celebrated the completion of the new 55,000-square-foot Paul Robeson Charter School in Trenton, which will serve approximately 750 students in grades K-8.
The two-story school building transforms a previously vacant lot on the Trenton-Ewing border into a world-class educational environment with modern, flexible learning spaces, including 38 classrooms, science labs, elective spaces, administrative offices and academic support areas.
The $35 million campus includes a shared cafeteria-gymnasium, an open atrium at the entrance and dynamic outdoor amenities with sculpted berms designed for outdoor play and learning.
O&N leveraged its deep experience to provide comprehensive structural engineering support, including system selection, Revit modeling, permit drawings, specifications, shop drawing review and construction administration throughout the construction of the school’s foundation and superstructure.
“O&N’s detailed knowledge of educational facilities enabled us to implement a cost-effective structural approach to meet the school’s programmatic needs while respecting budget constraints,” said Kyle Terry, principal at O&N. “Whether public, private or charter, every educational project requires structural engineers who understand both the technical and operational needs of school design.
“Our extensive portfolio helps us collaborate effectively with architects to create structures that support learning for generations.”
The project team included Atkin Olshin Schade Architects Inc., Aegis Property Group, Torcon Inc. and Bala Consulting Engineers. The O&N team included Kyle Terry, Daryl Fennell, Matthew Vandersall and Joshua Gordon.
Paul Robeson Charter School utilizes hollow-core precast concrete planks spanning between masonry-bearing walls, a proven, durable system particularly well-suited to school environments thanks to its vertical load-carrying capacity and lateral resistance. This effective structural system optimizes material efficiency while delivering long-term, durable performance.
