Kingston High School

elite|studio e was brought on board by the architect to serve as a foodservice consultant as part of a $137.5 million bond referendum passed by the residents of Kingston, NY. With the historic Kingston High School in a state of severe disrepair, extensive repairs were made to the existing building, including modernizing spaces and bringing them up to ADA standards; and extensions were added to some buildings as well. In addition, all areas needed to be energy-efficient and provide cost effective occupancy and operations. 

Our scope of work was in the Salzman Building, which was renovated and expanded. The new cafeteria and kitchen were part of the building’s new core and shell. Collaborating with the architect, we were able to provide the school cafeteria with a clean slate alleviating the challenges that existed in the previous location’s design while meeting the school’s desire to move a high volume of students through a small space. As a result, much of our design helps organize the students so they move through the space quickly in hopes of avoiding congestion and physical altercations among teenagers.

For the students, a highlight of the cafeteria design was the separate snack area. To help prevent bottle necking in the lines, this snack area was built away from the main serving line. Another feature that improved speed of service was creating four different lines for each food station. It allows students to spend less time in line and more time dining and socializing with friends. In addition, our team also included a centralized trash area allowing all students to utilize the garbage and recycling receptacles prior to exiting rather than having scattered trash cans throughout the space.

The cafeteria design also featured open concept cooking prep and finishing areas. At the time of this renovation, this food forward feature was unusual for a high school. To make this happen, elite|studio e coordinated with engineers and the architect firm to develop the exhaust hood and duct work to fit under an existing steel beam in the ceiling. Our team is proud to have been part of providing an improved experience for the students of Kingston High School and to have been part of such a tremendous project.