We welcomed a group of very special visitors on site at St. Anne's School last month. The First Cygnets - the School's inaugural class - had the opportunity to tour their new school, get an exclusive behind-the-scenes look and learn a bit about what is involved in renovating a private residence into an institutional facility.
It was such a treat to see the students' faces light up as they walked in the front doors for the first time and how excited Head of School Sabrina D'Angelo was to be giving them an exclusive preview of their new campus. We surprised students and staff with an official red SAS hard hat to wear throughout their visit and take home as a small reminder of how unique it is to be part of St. Anne's first class.
A big thank you to Dalton Site Superintendent William Dobson for ensuring the site was ready for visitors and taking the time to explain the construction process and answer questions throughout the tour.
Kristen Andrews, a carpenter on the Dalton team, shared a few highlights of what she's been working on, including the intricate millwork found throughout the building and why much of her time has been spent reinforcing floor joists:
"Since the manor was originally designed for a single family, to support the additional weight of renovations, along with students, equipment, furniture etc., the floors needed to be reinforced through a process called "Sistering". Simply put, sistering means adding extra material to strengthen the existing structure. The new joists, which are the same thickness and depth, are placed next to the existing joists and connected with screws or nails at each end and along the length of the new joist."
Afterwards, Sabrina remarked on how appropriate it is that the process of strengthening the building is relatable to how St. Anne's Girls will be strongest when they support one another.
We will be sharing more progress photos in the coming weeks; information on the school can be found on the St. Anne's website.
Floor joists are structural members used in the framing of a floor structure to support a space from beam to beam. Without floor joists, floors wouldn’t have any structural support and would eventually collapse from the weight. Not only do joists support the floors, but they also carry the weight of the walls, ceilings, furniture, appliances, and the people that walk on them. Return to post.