Simons Architects

The Auburn PAL Center is continuing to make progress toward completion. Most of the metal siding has been affixed to the exterior of the building by Hahnel Bros. Co. , including the orange accent paneling above the front and rear entrances. The orange is a theme that can also be found in the storefronts of the buildings as well as the tiling of the bathrooms. Other colorful accent features can be found in the community areas and gymnasium. Completion of the space is expected in early summer followed by owner occupancy.

(1) Perforated metal screen in the process of being installed.
(2) Previously exposed orange metal paneling.

Documentation, documentation, documentation! We recently invited one of our favorite photographers, Ryan Bent, to capture stunning images of some of our completed projects. Two projects that Ryan visited this spring are the Seavey Terraces apartments in Westbrook and the Rice Public Library in Kittery.

Photography:
Ryan Bent,

Seavey Terraces Contractor:
Hebert Construction,

Rice Public Library Contractor:
Wright-Ryan Construction,

We had perfect weather yesterday to celebrate the Groundbreaking for the new Kiwanis Pool in Portland, Maine! Architects Austin Smith and Julia Tate, and Designer Noah Jacques were excited to attend. The new facility will provide an accessible pool experience for all with a zero entry pool, a walking lane, dedicated lap lanes, a new splash pad, sun shades, and water slides. In tribute to the old pool, in service for an impressive 64 years, 64 pennies and a commemorative City of Portland coin were thrown into the foundation formwork.

Representatives from the City of Portland, Portland Parks Conservancy and local non-profit In Her Presence spoke. In addition to recognizing the amazing and dedicated work of the City's Parks and Recreation team, many thanks are extended to the Portland Parks Conservancy for their fundraising efforts that helped close the funding gap to make this a reality. SA thanks the consultant team for their support and collaboration: AKLA, Alpha One, Counsilman-Hunsaker, Gorrill Palmer, PCM, Salas O’Brien, Thornton Tomasetti and TRC.

Simons Architects is proud to be partnering with the City of Westbrook on the redevelopment of Saccarappa Park! To have your voice heard and contribute to the development of the design, please consult the linked questionnaire in our bio. There will be two upcoming community meetings about the project. The first will be on April 15th and the second will be on May 21st. Both meetings will take place from 6-8 pm at Westbrook Public Services, which is located on 371 S**o Street, Westbrook.

We're proud to share our recent work with Tilton School. 🏫 Renovations to the Beaumont Hall Dining Room at the Tilton School included updated furnishings, finishes, lighting & HVAC systems in the historic space, and brand new Hot & Cold Servery areas. These changes provide an enhanced dining experience for students and faculty, and expand Tilton's food service program. The entry areas to the Dining Commons have also been reconfigured to create a reception/lounge space, and a conference room. Big thanks to Milestone Engineering & Construction & Creative Office Resources as well as RFS Engineering for helping to make this project possible! 👏

We have been so fortunate to work with YMCA Camp Huckins in Freedom, NH on several projects over the last few years. The renovations are wrapping up on the Snell Dome Fieldhouse, and we wanted to share the transformation! The first photo shows the space before renovations, and the following two photos show the space after renovations! The project focused on new program space on the mezzanine, added equipment storage, and increased natural light, ventilation, and acoustic improvements. All of these changes allow for more flexibility and use of one of the largest gathering spaces on the campus. Big thanks to Mark Cadman for capturing these photos. Have a great summer season, Camp Huckins! 👏🏼

Simons Architects was recently featured in Architects’ Journal, which discussed the Portland Museum of Art and their launch of an international competition to find a team to plan and execute a $45 million dollar expansion for the museum. SA created a masterplan for the PMA in 2014 and updated the plan in 2021. We are looking forward to the opportunity to work with PMA once again. 👏

Read more about the project using the link below.

https://www.architectsjournal.co.uk/competitions/portland-museum-of-art-extension

After many years of collaboration with the faculty and staff at Tilton, most recently on the Beaumont Dining Hall renovations, we are finalizing construction documents for upgrades and improvements to one of the most iconic campus buildings, Knowles Dormitory. 🏫

This beautiful building is the largest dormitory on campus and houses almost half of the student body and 12 faculty members on 3 floors. Upgrades include finishes throughout, as well as new bathroom and laundry facilities on each floor and wing to modernize the amenities for the students and offer gender-neutral accommodations, while still honoring the historic character of the space. We are excited to be working with Milestone Construction on the project, which is set to begin construction this summer and continue through the Summer of 2023. 👏

In early June, the SA team had the opportunity to attend the North Yarmouth Academy Travis Roy Ice Arena Groundbreaking. 🏒 It is always wonderful to see a project unfolding right before our eyes, and we’re proud to be working with NYA on this building. We are excited to see it finished next year! 👏

June is Pride Month, and we want to recognize the Art for All Initiative, supported by our friends at the Portland Museum of Art. 👏 In 2020, PMA approved a new Strategic Plan that reaffirmed its commitment to diversity, equity, accessibility, and inclusion of art from people of all backgrounds and walks of life. You can learn more about this initiative by following the link below.

Photo by Ryan Bent Photography.

https://www.portlandmuseum.org/art-for-all #:~:text=Art%20for%20All%20supports%20the,bonds%20and%20bring%20us%20together

Last week, we had a great lunch outing to El Rayo Taqueria to celebrate Chelsea joining the SA team for the summer. Welcome Chelsea! 👏