Completed: 2025
Location: Pittsburgh, PA
Scope: Furniture
Architect: DesignGroup
Property Management: Oxford Development
General Contractor: PJ Dick
Location: Pittsburgh, PA
Scope: Furniture
Architect: DesignGroup
Property Management: Oxford Development
General Contractor: PJ Dick
The Challenge:
Designing a Purpose-Built Space for Specialized Learning
Pressley Ridge Day School serves students with mental, behavioral, and emotional challenges—including deaf and autistic learners—through a trauma-informed, therapeutic education model. As the school prepared for a complete renovation of its outdated 1960s facility, the goal was clear: create a space that fosters learning, promotes healing, and supports the unique needs of every student.
The new 60,000-square-foot building would include not just traditional classrooms, but also culinary and STEAM spaces, calm and sensory rooms, music and therapy rooms, liaison offices, and a dedicated career development center. Each area required thoughtful furniture solutions to support a range of educational, developmental, and therapeutic activities.
The new 60,000-square-foot building would include not just traditional classrooms, but also culinary and STEAM spaces, calm and sensory rooms, music and therapy rooms, liaison offices, and a dedicated career development center. Each area required thoughtful furniture solutions to support a range of educational, developmental, and therapeutic activities.
The Solution:
Collaborative Planning and Furniture for Flexible Support
Franklin collaborated closely with Pressley Ridge, Oxford Development, DesignGroup, and PJ Dick throughout the planning and installation process. Our role focused on aligning the design intent of each space with appropriate furniture solutions that balance function, durability, and comfort.
Our Work Included:
- Flexible Classroom Furnishings Curated furniture solutions for general education, STEAM, and culinary classrooms, including height-adjustable tables, lab-style workstations, and mobile pieces that support different teaching styles and student needs.
- Therapeutic and Support Spaces Calming rooms, sensory niches, and therapy offices furnished with soft seating, muted finishes, and sensory-conscious designs to help students regulate and feel safe in a welcoming, trauma-sensitive environment.
- Administrative and Counseling Areas Thoughtfully selected furnishings for liaison offices, therapy spaces, and staff work areas—balancing comfort, privacy, and professional function.
- Collaborative Planning and Design Alignment Close coordination with the client, architect, and construction team to guide finish selections, ensure consistency across neighborhoods, and meet the functional and therapeutic goals of the project.
The Impact:
A Thoughtfully Designed School That Supports Whole-Child Learning
Pressley Ridge’s newly renovated space reflects the school’s mission to provide not just education, but care and support. With updated systems, improved layouts, and carefully chosen furnishings, the school is now equipped to meet the mental, behavioral, and sensory needs of its students.
The furniture plays a quiet but essential role in this transformation—providing flexible setups for instruction, calming environments for therapy, and comfortable areas for staff and students to connect. It’s a space built for learning, healing, and growth.
The furniture plays a quiet but essential role in this transformation—providing flexible setups for instruction, calming environments for therapy, and comfortable areas for staff and students to connect. It’s a space built for learning, healing, and growth.
Take the First Step
Towards Your New Space
Creating a space tailored to your organization can be complex, but starting your project with us is simple. With decades of expertise in furniture, flooring, and interior construction, we’ll assemble a team of specialists tailored to your industry and project type. Together, we’ll guide you through every step to bring your vision to life.