Township meetings used to be held in a maintenance garage. With the help of Murphy & Dittenhafer Architects, officials will be able to better serve the community in a new building.
For years, Shrewsbury Township municipal officials have worked in a space that wasn’t exactly designed for them. Supervisors meet in a cordoned off room in a maintenance garage; administrative staff operate in outdated office settings.
While the 1960s/70s building has been renovated in pieces over the years, it hasn’t been up to date for the needs of the municipal staff or elected officials.
That will change when the new Administrative and Public Works building on the Shrewsbury Township Municipal Campus is complete, says Blake Gifford, Associate AIA at Murphy & Dittenhafer Architects.
“They were able to make the old space work for some time, but they really needed something better suited to their needs,” Gifford says. “While their needs seem simple, they’re incredibly important to being able to serve the community.”
A fresh start
The new building, which just started construction, will include office for about five staff, including the township manager. A new supervisors meeting room can expand to seat up to 150 people for public meetings. It’s also connected to a public lobby, making it easy to find and close to the main office reception area for easier communication between guests and office staff.
New public restrooms will give visitors a comfortable option, while also providing staff a separate restroom facility, a space that was previously shared.
The new Public Works facility portion of the Township campus project will include a series of pre-engineered garages along with a couple of offices, a break room, and a connection to the main Township Administrative building.
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While most of this work involves new building construction, Murphy & Dittenhafer Architects is keeping in mind the rural, semi-agriculture aesthetics of Shrewsbury Township. The buildings are long, low, and linear, and some of the exterior components include aluminum planking with a wood grain appearance, similar to the way plank barn siding would look.
Many of the materials are very natural and “organic” — akin to what would be found in a welcome center or nature center at a state park.
“It’s great to work with clients who are open to using pieces and finding elements that really shine,” Gifford says. “Even on a smaller budget, designs like these can not only serve a client’s needs but add to the community. It’s something they can be proud of.”
Murphy & Dittenhafer Architects took on the Architecture, Interior Design, & Overall Project Management for the new Bedford Elementary School, and the outcome is impactful.