PRESS RELEASE
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Filippi
Academic Hall Opens at Saint Mary's College of
California
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Ratcliff
Designs State-of-the-Art Classroom Facility to Train Future
Generation of Teachers
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EMERYVILLE, Calif., March 18, 2008 /PRNewswire/ --
Ratcliff (http://www.ratcliffarch.com/), the
architectural, planning and interiors firm, announces
the formal completion of the two-story,
36,671-square-foot Filippi Academic Hall which houses
the Kalmanovitz School of Education at Saint Mary's
College of California. Located prominently along the
campus loop road, the exterior of Filippi Academic Hall
maintains the architectural integrity of the campus'
distinctive Spanish Colonial style, while
state-of-the-art technology and design are incorporated
throughout the building's interior to create the
College's most innovative teaching environment. The
steel frame building with stucco exterior, terra cotta
tile roof, and ornamental ironwork is used to develop
instructional and therapeutic skills for pre-service and
in-service teachers, counselors, and administrators.
"It is a highlight for our college to have this new hall
dedicated to the mission of our founder, Saint John
Baptist de La Salle, who started the first teacher
training college in France," said Brother Stan Sobcyzk,
FSC, vice president for advancement at Saint Mary's
College. "Filippi Hall successfully incorporates a great
deal of exterior elements from the original structures
built here in 1928 and the woodwork interiors add warmth
and distinction. It is wonderful to have faculty offices
to provide one-on-one attention to our student
population."
Teaching is at the heart of the College's Lasallian
mission and the Kalmanovitz School of Education benefits
the entire region by providing teachers with quality
training. The School anticipates increased enrollment
due to the addition of Filippi Academic Hall, which
houses eight classrooms in different configurations,
including Montessori, general, and seminar rooms.
Observation rooms, which incorporate two-way mirrors,
are used by the Psychology Department and the Reading
Recovery Program, where graduate students unobtrusively
observe how an instructor teaches a child how to read.
The modern testing center includes one 18-seat testing
room, two mid-size computer testing rooms, two
individual testing rooms, and a tutoring center. The
computer lab has 30 student workstations.
Advanced technology tools such as wireless Internet and
built-in ceiling projectors in every classroom aid the
delivery of academic content. Ratcliff achieved energy
efficiency throughout Filippi Academic Hall by
incorporating intelligent building controls for
heating/cooling systems and lighting.
Upstairs, the Kalmanovitz School of Education shares
administrative space with some faculty members from the
School of Liberal Arts, including offices and an elegant
conference room with a breathtaking view of the
surrounding hillsides. "Breakout rooms" for informal
student-faculty meetings or group project work, first
made popular on campus in the Ratcliff-designed Brother
Alfred Brousseau Hall, are interspersed between the
faculty offices. Outdoors, the U-shaped building creates
a courtyard with benches and a large oak tree at the
center of the space where students can gather and
socialize.
"Students and faculty are enthusiastic about the new
space and it shows in their utilization of the
building's amenities. Our breakout and conference rooms
are in constant use and the observation rooms are
wonderful teaching spaces being incorporated in the
curriculum just as planned," said Nancy Sorenson, dean
of the Kalmanovitz School of Education.
Founded in 1863 by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of San
Francisco, Saint Mary's College of California is one of
the oldest colleges in the West. The college is
administered by the Christian Brothers and relocated
from Oakland to Moraga in 1928. Since it was established
in 1967, the Kalmanovitz School of Education at Saint
Mary's College has educated thousands of students who
have received teaching credentials, master's degrees,
and doctorates.
Headquartered in Emeryville, Calif., Ratcliff is the Bay
Area's longest continually-operating architectural firm
and a recipient of the prestigious Firm of the Year
award from the American Institute of
Architects-California Council. Ratcliff's current higher
education clients include the University of California,
Berkeley; Foothill-De Anza Community College District;
and Peralta Community College District. With a staff of
75 design professionals, Ratcliff offers a broad range
of services for health care, higher education, and civic
clients throughout the Western United States.
Source: Ratcliff
CONTACT: Liz O'Hara of Ratcliff, +1-510-899-6400,
lohara@ratcliffarch.com; or Mary Tressel of Tressel
Communications, +1-925-798-9421,
mary@tresselpr.com,
for Ratcliff
Website:
http://www.ratcliffarch.com/
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