GREEN Charter School Simpsonville Hosts Official Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony to Celebrate New Campus

GREEN Charter School Simpsonville proudly marked the official opening of its new campus with a ribbon-cutting ceremony, commemorating the transformation of a 75,000-square-foot former office building into a dynamic learning environment for students in grades K-7. The event celebrated the school’s commitment to STEAM-focused education—science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics—and its mission to cultivate academic excellence through individualized learning plans and small class sizes.

The ceremony featured a special performance by the school’s 6th grade choir, who sang the alma mater and attendees heard inspiring remarks from Principal Maria Werner and Executive Director Tom Cronin, who both emphasized the school’s dedication to fostering innovation and preparing students for future success.

The adaptive reuse of the existing building, designed by DP3 Architects, presented a unique opportunity to create a state-of-the-art educational facility while embracing sustainability. The design team strategically reconfigured open office layouts into age-appropriate classrooms and repurposed common areas to support student-centered learning. Key features of the new campus include a cafeteria, gymnasium, library, and collaborative learning spaces, all tailored to enhance the school’s mission of academic achievement and innovation.

The event concluded with the official GREEN ribbon cutting, symbolizing a new chapter for GREEN Charter School Simpsonville and its students. Families, faculty, and community members gathered to tour the new facility and witness firsthand the inspiring learning spaces designed to support future generations.

For more information about the GREEN Charter School project, click [HERE]

DP3 Architects Celebrates Grand Opening of Historic McGirt Auditorium in Rock Hill, SC

DP3 Architects proudly joined city officials, community leaders, and residents in a celebration ceremony for the newly renovated McGirt Auditorium. This significant milestone marks the successful transformation of the historic venue into a vibrant community asset that honors its rich legacy while embracing the future.

McGirt Auditorium is part of the Emmett Scott Recreation Center in Rock Hill, South Carolina, and is located at the historic site of the former Emmett Scott High School. The auditorium has long served as a place of cultural significance for the Rock Hill community. Founded in 1920, the school was named after Emmett J. Scott, a prominent educator who was then secretary of Howard University. This was the first public school for African Americans in Rock Hill, and in 1960, the Emmett Scott High School opened McGirt Auditorium, which was used for homecomings, pageants, student assemblies, and performances. The auditorium was named for the longest-serving of the six principals, Ralph Waldo McGirt. The Emmett Scott School was closed when South Carolina schools were desegregated in 1970 but has been a place for neighborhood connection ever since.

The renovated auditorium will provide a new, modern space for events and conferences, cultural performances, reunions, competitions, and more. DP3 Architects was chosen for the renovation, which consisted of a new entrance lobby and support spaces. New stage lights, sound system, curtains, dressing rooms, restrooms and accessibility upgrades are included in the new layout. Additional work includes renovation of the existing courtyard with new exterior canopies and landscaping. Historical elements include the relocation and incorporation of the original engraved brick pavers and historical markers into the new building and new wood countertops in the dressing rooms which were created from an old oak tree that had to be removed from the site.

During the ceremony, Councilmember Perry Sutton reflected on the power of collaboration, stating, “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.” His words underscored the collective effort that brought this project to life, from city leadership to the design and construction teams.

Councilmember Derrick Lindsay emphasized the historical significance of the renovation, adding, “We stand on the shoulders of those who have gone before us.” The revitalization of McGirt Auditorium not only preserves an important piece of Rock Hill’s history but also paves the way for future generations to gather, perform, and celebrate within its walls.

DP3 Architects is honored to have played a role in this meaningful project, ensuring that McGirt Auditorium remains a beacon of culture and community. The firm extends its gratitude to the City of Rock Hill and all stakeholders who contributed to the successful completion of this renovation.

New Amenity Building Design for Harrier Point with Forestar Group

DP3 Architects is excited to partner with Forestar Group on the design of a new amenity building for Harrier Point, a vibrant new home community nestled in the growing city of Woodruff, South Carolina. Designed to enhance the neighborhood experience, this facility will serve as a central gathering space, offering residents a space for relaxation, recreation, and social connection. The architecture blends modern aesthetics with functional design, incorporating indoor and outdoor spaces that cater to a variety of community activities. The new amenity building at Harrier Point reflects DP3 Architects’ commitment to creating spaces that bring people together.

Training (Safely) in the Firehouse

Michael T. Pry, AIA LEED AP | Principal

Health and safety in the firehouse is essential for effectively serving our communities. Firefighters must be  proactive in everyday fitness and training to maintain a healthy lifestyle to ensure a long injury-free career. Additionally, as architects, it is important for us to understand the unique training goals of each department to assist with developing cost-effective ways to integrate everyday training into the design of the modern firehouse. There are three areas for design exploration to address the Health, Safety, and Welfare needs of firefighters: Training, Fitness, and Wellness.

Training
Training can take various forms, from traditional classroom learning and daily fitness routines to more intense fireground training activities. The CPAT (Candidate Physical Ability Test) is considered the gold standard for firefighters and is the most common and well-known physical ability test among firefighters in the US. Its rigorous physical test covers eight areas: Stair Climb, Hose Drag, Equipment Carry, Ladder Raise and Extension, Forcing Entry, Search, Rescue Drag, Ceiling Breach & Pull. Each of these focus areas can be easily incorporated into a typical apparatus bay design eliminating the need to move personnel off-site or suspend training due to weather conditions. Having easy access to these training zones within the station will encourage daily use by the firefighters to support their continuous training. If it is easy to use, it will be used!

Establishing the indoor and outdoor training needs of a station is one of the first decisions to be made when designing a firehouse. It is less costly to plan for this in design rather than going back to retrofit an existing station. These specific needs will guide your architect in determining the best ways to integrate these elements into the overall station design. Other factors to consider include: lighting design, wet location design, appropriate finish selections, safety and visibility, locations for tie-offs, overhead clearance requirements, wall/structural reinforcement, and the ability to develop multi-use spaces to efficiently use the space available.

For example, a typical apparatus bay has a high-ceiling requirement and will typically have a “free zone” of space above adjacent support rooms with lower ceilings. This zone can be easily captured as a storage/training mezzanine with the simple addition of removable rails, small balconies, operable doors/windows, and manholes. This zone can accommodate training for all of the eight areas of the CPAT and the development of a multitude of training exercises including ladder evolutions, balcony rescue, survival bail-out drills, swift water rescue, rappelling, confined space rescue, stair climb, hose advancement, and much more.

Adding a door directly from the mezzanine to an adjacent flat roof training zone will extend training to the outdoors to allow for rooftop rescue drills by ground ladders or apparatus. Similarly, just exposing the fire sprinkler riser within an open corner of the apparatus bay instead of in a small room will easily allow for fire suppression system education.

Fitness
Firefighters need to continuously maintain high levels of aerobic fitness, muscular power, strength, and endurance. NFPA 1583 “Standard for Health-Related Fitness Programs for Fire Department Members” outlines a complete health-related fitness program (HRFP) for members involved in emergency operations to reduce the risk of injury, disease, and premature death. The six best exercises for firefighters to perform their jobs are cardio, deadlifts, sled drag/push, upper body, core and back and legs. These exercises can be easily accommodated in a well-designed fitness room on site with the appropriate fitness equipment. Cross-fit style training can be incorporated by extending the fitness room to a lawn area just outside the fitness room accessed via a roll-up garage-style door.

Important design considerations of the fitness room include locating the fitness room with “line of sight” windows adjacent to other active spaces or corridors within the station to allow for others to quickly notice a firefighter in distress within the room. Additionally, access to natural light, adequate ventilation, proper floor finishes, hydration/bottle fill stations, CCTV’s, AED’s, and plenty of electrical outlets are a must!

Wellness
Wellness encompasses a wide variety of topics, each just as important as physical training and includes education for nutrition, behavioral and mental health, cancer prevention and much more. It’s an overall state of well-being that should be actively incorporated into your training plans. Having appropriately designed kitchens to allow for the proper teaching and implementation of nutrition plans and designing “decompression rooms” for firefighters returning from traumatic scenes are critical to the overall health and wellness of firefighters. These decompression rooms can also serve as a “Mother’s Room” for expectant or nursing mothers. These spaces should be designed with a lockable door, adjustable lighting, an undercounter refrigerator and handwash sink, and comfortable seating to provide a relaxed atmosphere. Every project has the opportunity to support and enhance the Health, Safety, and Wellness of your firefighters by fully integrating training, fitness, and wellness features in the design of your next station. The only limitations are your own creativity and the budget

Fire Stations are beacons of safety and security in communities. DP3 Architects’ award-winning team designs facilities that are a reflection of each unique community and crew. We use our expertise to create spaces that are designed for maximum efficiency and comfortable living environments. Your station should reinforce your mission and set your team up for success to serve the community well. Ready to get started? Let’s connect.

DP3 Architects Welcomes Two New Team Members

It is our pleasure to introduce Brian Moulder and Seth Forrester as the newest members of the DP3 Architects team. Brian and Seth both have a B.A. in Architecture from Clemson University. Brian is part of our Multi-Unit Studio and Seth is in the Hospitality Studio. We look forward to their contributions to both projects and our company culture.