Brooklyn, NY 2018
Smith & Architects worked with Ascend Charter Schools to create a new flagship facility within a classic 1940s Diocese school in Brooklyn. The scope of the project included the complete refurbishment of millwork paneling in classrooms, terrazzo slab paneling in hallways, and a grand auditorium/gym space. The school now provides a state-of-the-art learning environment that serves its mission while retaining treasured qualities of material and craft found in the historic spaces.
The almost 31,000 SF renovation includes the basement, 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th levels. In the basement we upgraded the floor with new VCT tile and carpet and converted storage space into new administrative offices. The 1st level now provides new office space, a teacher center, IT and nurse room, while the existing classrooms on the upper levels received a full upgrade. Our design adds new boys’ and girls’ rooms on the 3rd and 4th level and all new plumbing fixtures. We worked closely with the client team to reimagine the color scheme throughout, resulting in a carefully calibrated spectrum that complements the refurbished terrazzo hallways and bathrooms and the classrooms’ wood floors and handsome mill work paneling.
Photography: Alexander Severin