Years prior, Saratoga Springs High School converted its gymnasium to a cafeteria. However, the space—which needed to accommodate 500 students during a single lunch period—still had the acoustics of a gym, inefficient use of space, poor traffic flow, and no consideration for COVID-influenced changes that redefined comfort levels for students in large-group settings. With many students requesting to eat lunch in their classrooms, school leadership looked to transform the cafeteria into a place students would be excited to return to and use to reestablish social connectivity lost during the pandemic.
The architect, Mosaic Associates, encountered a list of challenges that included: significantly reducing noise in a vast 7,810 sq. ft. space; facilitating flowing traffic of up to 500 people; achieving a cohesive look with the corridor; and elevating school branding to a collegiate look. Moreover, the cafeteria needed to create spaces that met the diverse desires of students—from those wanting a quiet dining experience to those looking to eat with small, medium, or large groups—without creating physical barriers. Lastly, this needed to be achieved on a public-school budget.
Acoustibuilt Seamless Acoustical Ceiling Clouds offer strong acoustical performance and distinguish large-group seating areas in the cafeteria at Saratoga Spring High School in Saratoga Springs, New York.
For more information, visit the project webpage.
Armstrong World Industries
