Our firm focused on several moves that increase visibility, such as the custom facade panel at the ground floor entry that animates the street and a double-height, glazed library that becomes a beacon at night. The entry also features a 10-foot-square exterior art wall with a series of removable panels that can accommodate rotating artwork. Inside, a gallery-like entry/reception space contains a neon yellow central stair knits together the multi-level school.

The other principal space located on ground floor is the school Commons, a pick-up and drop-off area, student lounge, study hall, café, and community space. The walls are lined with a system of tiered, planted trays that function as a small-scale urban garden in partnership with Brooklyn Grange.

The second floor is dedicated to a mix of student classrooms, the school library, and teacher workspaces. Each classroom has a small area devoted to quiet study and is configured slightly differently. Additional classrooms, separate chemistry and biology labs, and art and maker-spaces continue on the third floor.

The school library occupies the southwest corner of the second and third floors. Custom common tables and a monumental sofa give students a wide variety of options for both individual and collaborative study.

The lower level accommodates: a 1,600 square-foot column-free space for sports and exercise and a separate adjacent studio for music and dance.