The goal of this project is to provide a 384-seat classroom addition, as well as renovate the existing building to align spaces with the current program. The site is located within a residential neighborhood in Jamaica, Queens, encompassing approximately 1.7 acres. A major challenge in the design of this addition was respecting the scale and detail of the existing Georgian-style building. The original structure is two stories high with a warm brick and limestone façade and gabled slate roofs, encompassing two linked structures built at separate times. In order to achieve the same scale and cornice line of the existing building, the third floor of the addition is set 25 feet back from the front façade; the third floor cannot be seen from street level. While a new glass entry link separates the new construction from the existing, the addition façade uses a brick that closely matches the existing building’s color and texture.
