The new 5 story school is developed as a 50,000 sf addition to the existing 66,000 sf school, providing a direct connection to respective floor levels in order that shared program elements are readily accessible from all areas of the building(s).  The addition provides classrooms for Pre-K through Grade 5 as well as specialized instruction for Art and Music.  Of particular importance, relative to the program for the new building is the provision of a cafeteria and related kitchen complex sized to serve the entire school population of 1,400 students.  The existing school is a NY State registered historic building (SHPO), so the addition harmonizes itself with the original structure through its massing, materials, fenestration and detailing. 

Working with the available site area and configuration, the new building locates itself as an added leg to the existing ‘L-shaped’ building, resulting in a more or less ‘U-shaped’ structure.  Due to the slope of the site, rather than grade-level access to the play yard from the first floor of the existing school, the basement level matches the finish grade of the play yard.  The design locates the cafeteria at the play yard level where it is used to partially infill the inner court formed by the U of the overall building.  With the cafeteria at this location, the space serves as a “collector” of the major vertical circulation elements of both the existing and new building.  The cafeteria faces south and directly accesses the play yard, which allows it to also serve as line-up space, offering 3 major routes into the main school building.  The roof of the cafeteria can be used as a large outdoor terrace for school activities.

To match the sidewalk elevation corresponding to the new building entry along Olinville Avenue, the entry lobby arrives at a mid-level relative to the existing finish floor elevations.  This allows for a high-ceiling entry space that is light-filled with large windows facing the street.  Natural light penetrates through the lobby deep into the cafeteria below.

The addition project maintains an overall massing and volumetric relationship to the original building.  The site slopes dramatically downward from the existing building corner.  The addition uses the horizontal stone and brick banding details to extend the existing lines along the new street elevation, extending under the projecting classroom volume above.  The window unit sizes of the addition match the existing and are stone-trimmed to vertically tie together; however, a different rhythm is used to relate to the internal planning of classrooms.  Intermittent solid wall surfaces provide variety to the overall massing.  The new entry is treated as a large glazed surface and vestibule element to clearly distinguish the new addition and give focus to the arrival point along the street.  The color palette of the addition exterior will have similar tonal and textural qualities as the existing with projecting massing elements distinguished with a darker tone.