This is an addition (High School & Community Art’s Center) to an existing P.S. Elementary School in Manhattan that envisions a vertically stacked campus thus sustaining a more dense footprint while tackling the prevalent issues of the traditional vertical urban school typology ( limited walkability, minimum outdoor space, inactive dead end, and in-between void space). The addition extends the existing four-story H-shape elementary school vertically, creating a compact –cube shape that is then perforated by semi-public void elements that host blended curriculum and extra-curriculum programmatic possibilities, a new set of surfaces to apply materials and allow openings that enrich the user’s experience and creativity. Three separate entrances and meeting spaces gather the users and orient them to the three major programs. Ground floor interior atriums and rotating staircases direct the students to the high school classes and amenities while spacious elevators lead students to the pre-k’s upper floor classrooms and activity spaces. The Community Art’s center is accessed independently from the interior courtyard and connects with the two schools through shared-program terraces.
Corrugated metal and glass are the main materials used to match the existing school’s brick essence.