Urbahn provided the planning, design and preparation of Design-Build documents for a new 900-student school in Canarsie, Brooklyn. This new facility accommodates prekindergarten through seventh grades on a 3-acre site in a mixed-use neighborhood. Working closely with District 18, we developed a “house concept” plan where the student body is divided into three houses of 300 students each. The three houses are located in distinct pods organized around a central common area encompassing a “piazza” atrium area, cafeteria, gymnasium, administration and other central services.
The auditorium was located to facilitate after-hours community use. To reinforce the house identity, three separate lunch rooms are served by one kitchen. The Pre-K and Kindergarten rooms are located on the first floor to minimize circulation for young children. Urbahn closely collaborated with artist Lee Brozgold to create “Beacon” a feature 2-story stained glass installation over the building’s main entrance.