18,000 SF (renovation)
“How to Expand Urban Schools Creatively and Efficiently, Jenelle Penny, Buildings Magazine, September 25, 2022
Over the last half century, the school has expanded multiple times into adjacent buildings, and even into the Cathedral itself: the cafeteria, gym, and performance spaces are in the crypt. The school’s strategic plan had identified the need for additional space to accommodate contemporary learning practices, as well as space for large student and community gatherings. Since the block had been so thoroughly developed, there were limited options for situating this new space. The location that was ultimately selected was the narrow slot between the school and the Cathedral, on a terrace comprised of the roof of an earlier addition.
This space is located deep in the block, far from the school’s primary entrance on Sacramento Street and surrounded by existing buildings. This posed a challenge: how can the new spaces be connected to the old in a way that allows them to be a hub of activity?
The connection to the new “heart” was made by rearranging the classrooms as part of their renovation to allow for a grand entrance leading directly from the Sacramento Street doors to the new “Learning Commons,” terminating in a striking view of the Cathedral complex that opens up into the panoramas afforded by the floor-to-ceiling windows.
One of the project’s greatest successes was the construction schedule. The classrooms were completely renovated during the three-month summer break, along with the disruptive structural work to frame the new addition. A temporary barrier was erected between the classrooms and the addition shell so it could be finished while school was in session during the fall term. The curtain wall was prefabricated off-site in panels that were craned into place in a matter of days. The project was completed over winter break, and ready for students when they returned for the spring semester.