O'Donnell & Naccarato Celebrates Grand Opening of Paul Robeson Charter School

Trenton, NJ – O'Donnell & Naccarato (O&N), a leading and employee-owned structural engineering firm headquartered in Philadelphia, celebrated the completion of the new 55,000-square-foot Paul Robeson Charter School, 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.

Brought in to evaluate prior conceptual designs and propose alternative structural systems, 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 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 tried-and-true structural system optimizes material efficiency while delivering long-term, durable performance.

With projects across every major educational vertical, O&N has a robust pipeline of active and completed K-12 projects throughout New Jersey and beyond, including Perth Amboy High School, KIPP New Jersey Public Schools, and the Dayton Avenue Educational Campus. The firm has also provided structural engineering services for many higher education institutions across the country, including Essex County College, Hackensack Meridian Health School of Medicine, Swarthmore College, Fordham University, the University of Virginia, Indiana University, Villanova University, Purdue University, and the University of Miami.

About O'Donnell & Naccarato

O'Donnell & Naccarato is an employee-owned structural engineering firm operating nationally from our offices in Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, Ohio, Indiana, and Florida. With strong experience in every major vertical construction sector, O'Donnell & Naccarato supports the entire lifecycle of a building, starting with the initial structural design to renovations and ultimately to restoration.

As a partner to design professionals, owners and institutions, our objective is to incorporate each stakeholder's demands of form, function, schedule and budget into each engagement. O'Donnell & Naccarato is a proud Employee Stock Ownership Plan company, providing all employees the opportunity to share in the success of the firm.

For more information, visit www.o-n.com.