Hasbrouck Heights-based DMR Architects, a full-service architecture firm, announced Jan. 13 that it has been awarded two new school design-build projects in West New York and Elizabeth, as the Hasbrouck Heights firm expands its design-build portfolio.
DMR was selected in partnership with the Terminal Construction Corporation for both of these projects and is working under the oversight of the New Jersey Schools Development Authority (NJSDA), which manages the program.
The news follows the openings of DMR’s most recent design-build projects in Wood-Ridge and Bayonne.
The new Elizabeth school is a $76.8 million investment and will serve more than 900 students throughout 142,000 square feet and is one of the largest of its kind in the city. The new facility will include seven pre-kindergarten classrooms; six kindergarten classrooms; six self-contained special education classrooms; 22 general classrooms for grades one to five; nine general classrooms for grades six to eight; one resource room; five small group instruction rooms; three science classrooms; and dedicated space for vocal music, art and a media center with a makerspace. The project is expected to be completed in 2028.
The new West New York project is 162,000-square-foot middle school for grades six to eight, representing a $92 million investment that will serve about 875 students. The new facility will include 30 general classrooms, six science labs, multiple science prep rooms, dedicated art rooms, and a wide range of specialized learning and student-support spaces designed to offer a modern, flexible, and technology-forward educational environment. The project is expected to be completed in 2028.
“Design-build allows us to accelerate the entire process in ways traditional delivery can’t,” said Pradeep Kapoor, president and CEO of DMR Architects, founded in 1991. “With tight timelines, we’re often able to begin critical-path construction months earlier because design and construction happen in parallel. That level of coordination and responsiveness is key when you’re building schools for growing communities.”
Design-build was made more accessible to public agencies in New Jersey following the Design-Build Construction Services Procurement Act of 2021, which allows municipalities and other government bodies to pursue this model for projects over $5 million. The legislation has helped create more flexibility to help meet tight timelines and evolving student needs.
