A View from the Top (and the Bottom)

One of the unfortunate realities of building a large structure is that from a certain angle, not much changes from day to day. We could post daily photos from across the street from 318 Davisville Road, and it wouldn't look like much is changing.

Look a little closer, though, and you'll see there's a lot going on. The photo on the left, taken last month shortly after the building frame was complete, shows the decking being added to the third floor.

The photo to the right shows the current view from the ground floor, where the School's offices and recital hall will be located. As a matter of fact, the photo was taken from about the position of the Branch Director's office looking toward the lobby. The entrance to the branch will be to the right at the rear of the building, and recital hall will be to the left.

Head up two flights on a construction ladder in the elevator shaft, and you're standing on smoothed, finished concrete that's been poured on the decking you see above. The recessed area in the center will be the dance studio, which will have a special floor inlaid.

Wondering how poured concrete gets so smooth? Picture for a moment some sort of mutant cross between a Zamboni(TM), an air boat and a riding lawnmower. You know what, you don't need to picture it. Just click on the next photo for a better view of these fantastic looking machines.

Click over to our Facebook fan page for an expanded gallery of photos, including the elevator shaft, the decking before concrete has been poured, and a view from the top floor looking down.

Keeping a Large Retainer

One of the challenges of the lot on which the Willow Grove Branch sits is that it initially sloped down to railroad tracks at the rear of the property. We noted the beginnings of the retaining wall necessary to level the property in an earlier post. In addition to that purpose, it also creates a separation between our parking lot and the railroad tracks.

In the photo that opens this post, you can see the entire length of the wall along the back of the property. And we're still not done. The wall currently stands about 19 feet, and when it's completed, it should be around 25 feet tall.

The thing about a wall is that it's not nearly as simple as it might first appear. For instance, you can't just stack a bunch of cinder blocks on top of one another and expect it to hold against even a small weight, nevermind the tons of dirt that are pressing against this wall. Each semi-hollow block is carefully placed then filled with material. After a line of blocks is placed, a layer of geofabric is laid on top, and the next layer begins anew. This fabric (which you can see to the right) prevents the water that trickles down the interior of the bricks from displacing the fill material (stone, dirt, etc.) within each brick. The water travels freely, the fill material stays where it is instead of getting washed away. Then after a certain number of layers of brick are placed, dirt is filled in against the wall. That's essentially what the wall is retaining: a whole lot of dirt on which a parking lot will be built.

This last photo gives a sense of how the wall wraps around the rear of the property, and shows just how high it is.

As a reminder, all of these photos and more are featured on our Facebook fan page. Check them out here.

The Gala: After the Fact

Saturday's 102nd Anniversary Gala held at the Hyatt at the Bellevue was a great success. With more than 400 guests in attendance, both the cocktail hour and dinner were comfortably cozy without feeling overcrowded.

Glamorous ladies and dapper gentlemen enjoyed the sounds of Settlement students and alumni alike. From the solo student guitarist who greeted guests at the entrance to the Grand Ballroom, to the Kardon-Northeast Jazz Band who played during the cocktail hour, to the Gail W. Snitzer Advanced Study String Quartet (see the group onstage in the above photo), Settlement students acquitted themselves well throughout the evening's festivities.

And following those stellar performances, guests danced the night away to the orchestra of Settlement alumnus and Settlement 100 honoree Joe Sudler.

For a full gallery of photos from the event, visit Settlement's Facebook Fan Page. Have story from the Gala to share? Let us know in the comments.

The Gala Approaches

Settlement's 102nd Anniversary arrives this Saturday, April 10, but the first signs of celebration occurred in early March at the Gala Benefactor Party. Held at Jacobs Music of Philadelphia, this year's party featured three floors of gorgeous pianos, great wine, and thrilling music.

On hand providing that music were the Myer Schwartz Advanced Study Piano Trio, coached by Sandra Carlock, Arthur Judson Distinguished Faculty Chair. The trio is comprised of Kathleen Sun, violin; Samuel Soltoff, cello; and Christianna Bates, piano.

Co-chairs Don & Lynn Haskin, Konnie & Paul Stark (pictured left to right) joined Central Board Chair Joseph W. Waz, Jr. (back center) in "tickling the ivories."

And as always, Moore Brothers Wine Company was on hand to provide some truly spectacular wines. Greg Moore played bartender for the evening, and the guests couldn't have been happier.

To see more pictures from the event, and to keep up-to-date on the latest Settlement news and events, visit our Facebook Fan Page. Be sure to become a fan, and you'll get alerts when we post new info.