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Architects Participate in "Day-of-Service"
October 21, 2019
Picture of architects who participated in the day of service
Western Mass AIA (WMAIA) heald its third annual "Day-Of-Service" on October 19th. Led and organized by JWA's Kristian Whitsett and Steve Jablonski (of Jablonski DeVriese Architects in Springfield), volunteers from WMAIA partnered with Gardening the Community (GTC).

Volunteers this year built ramps for easier access to cold storage, helped insulate the main water service for the upcoming winter months , and re-built a door for secure bicycle storage.  Kudos to Molly Clark and Micaela Goodrich for joining the efforts!  Half of the volunteers were from JWA!

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Granby Public Schools Sees Increase in Enrollment
September 30, 2019
Photo of front of East Meadow Elementry School with flowers in foreground.
Prior to JWA's renovation / addition to the East Meadow Elementary School, Granby Schools had been experiencing a decline in enrollment. However this past year saw more than 30 new students joined the district.

Superintendent Sheryl Stanton attributed the increase in enrollment to the new East Meadow building. Read more about how Granby is "bucking the trend of declining enrollment", in this Daily Hampshire Gazette article.

Media Coverage:
Growing class sizes may force Granby to reconfigure schools

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Margo Jones Places 1st in Age Group and Kristian Whitsett Places 3rd in Greenfield Lightlife Triathlon
August 4, 2019
Picture of Margo and Kristina just after race
Two of Jones Whitsett's Principals competed in yesterday's Greenfield Lightlife Triathlon. JWA's Whitsett came in third overall in the International distance event - with a time of 1:53:41. JWA's Jones came in first in her age group - with a time of 1:28:16 in the Sprint distance event. If poor water quality had not canceled the swim portion, both may have done even better - as Margo and Kristian both appreciate a good swim! A beautiful day to enjoy a fantastic local event.

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Habitat for Humanity Home Dedication
June 13, 2019
Front view of the new habitat for humanity home
Pioneer Valley Habitat for Humanity's home at 1 Garfield Avenue in Northampton, MA held its dedication ceremony this past Friday. JWA's Dorrie Brooks spoke on the importance of affordable housing, a value held dear by our firm and those who work here. It is with great pleasure that we mark the completion of this project and offer best wishes to its new inhabitants.

The new 672 sq. ft. home was constructed with volunteer labor (JWA staff even spent a day pounding nails), sports a impressive roof-top solar aray, and furthers Northampton's mission to provide affordable housing.

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Work at DIAL/SELF's Northampton Teen Housing Project Progressing Quickly
April 2, 2019
Rendering of the new Teen Housing Project
The month of April started off well for the DIAL/SELF's Northampton Teen Housing Project.

The week prior saw the majority of the framing go up (check out their time-lapse video in the link below), as well as a $10,000 donation to the project by Greenfield Savings Bank. See link to article below for more details. Congratualtions to Phil and all the others in making this important community resource a reality.

Media Coverage:
Week 3 Time-Laspe Video
Greenfield Savings gives $10K to Dial/Self for construction of Hatfield Street home

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Holyoke School Committee & City Council Meet on Funding Middle Schools Project
February 26, 2019
High end rendering of the Chestnut Middle School
In order for the Holyoke Middle Schools project to proceed, The City Council must consider a debt exclusion or Proposition 21/2 override to pay for the schools.

This was the first of several meetings to work out how the schools will be paid for. Todays Mass Live article provides a snapshot of the various players involved, and their positions on the future of the project.

Media Coverage:
Holyoke School Committee, City Council hold joint meeting on proposed middle schools

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Gardner School Committee Approves Land Acquisition for New Elementary School
January 10, 2019
Site Plan drawing of proposed new elementary school
As Jones Whitsett wrapped up their Feasibility Study for the city of Gardner, outlining options for replacing two of the cities aging schools, the School Committee voted affirmatively to pursue the purchase of a 17 acre parcel off Pearl Street.

The preferred option is to build a new elementary school at the location for students preschool through grade four. While the City works on acquiring the land, the Massachusetts School Building Authority will be reviewing the project for State funding. For further details on the vote and the proposed project, see the linked article from The Gardner News.

Media Coverage:
School Committee supports plan for new school

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Greenfield's New Parking Garage Opened Today
November 9, 2018
Margo Jones with scissors just about to cut the ribbon.
Margo Jones attended today's Ribbon Cutting Ceremony, marking the official opening of the Olive Street Parking Garage.

After cutting the ceremonial red ribbon, State and local officials gathered on the Garage's top deck, where Ms. Jones and several others spoke briefly about the garage and its significance for the Greenfield community.

For further information on the ceremony, please see today's Recorder article:

Media Coverage:
Greenfield garage opens, with promise of boost to downtown

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Community Input on Holyoke's Two New Public Middle Schools
October 22, 2018
JWA Team at table with community members
JWA is hosting three community design conversations in October and November in the City of Holyoke to gain community input on the design of two new public middle schools.

Neighbors, parents and students explored the proposed floor plans, site plans and design principles and shared their hopes and dreams for these important new community facilities.  The City is expected to vote on a debt exclusion plan to fund the schools in late April 2019.  For more information, email office@joneswhitsett.com.

Media Coverage:
Community Provides Input on Proposed New Middle School Buildings

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Small Lot Zoning in the Pioneer Valley
October 15, 2018
Small lot neighborhood from the air
Jones Whitsett's Dorrie Brooks appears in Habitat for Humanity's recently released video on Small Lot Zoning. See how Habitat's efforts have been aided by current zoning policies in this short video:

An informative video on how small lot zoning in Hampshire and Franklin County is helping create more affordable housing and home ownership opportunities for community members in Massachusetts.

Media Coverage:
Habitat Big Enough Small Lot Zoning

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