schoolspring 2020, GSAPP Core II Studioprojects
THE TRIPARTATE SCHOOL
The project
starts with an existing H-plan school by C. B. J. Snyder, whose standardized school plans were used for more than 50 of New York City’s public school buildings. The project preserves the foot print and one wing of the existing building while it replaces the other with new facilities (gym, science labs, art/maker spaces) and connects the two with a new civic core.
EXISTING H -PLAN SCHOOL
The H-plan school designed by CBJ Snyder was revolutionary for it’s consideration of light and air’s impact on the quality of children’s education. His design maximized the amount of windows for classrooms, whereas before classrooms were often windowless and lit with gas lamps with little natural light and air circulation. The project preserves one wing of the existing school building.
CIVIC CORE
The civic core acts as the heart of the school. It’s the circulation core of the building, providing access from one wing to the other, as well as from floor to floor. Additionally, the spaces in the center of the core are dedicated to assembly - auditoriums, cafeterias and other places where students gather together. Additionally, it provides essential infrastructural support, with communal laundry, kitchen and pantry spaces. These spaces are not only places for students who do not have access to laundry or food at home, but also educational spaces for teaching young children how to take care of themselves, their belongings and their bodies.