A neighborhood was transformed and a community energized by the creation of this elementary school. Spaces were created for the community both inside and around the building. Resonating with the ecology of the city, strategies such as a new bus stop, sidewalk improvements and facade grants leveraged the vibrancy of the new school to resuscitate the entire community. Operating round the clock and serving multiple constituencies, it is a true community resource.

Our integration of architecture and art offered a method to engage students in their educational environment and meet the mission of the school to develop independent, creative thinkers. Highlighting the Family Academy’s discovery theme is a publicly-commissioned representation of Spanish sailor Rodrigo de Triana, the first among Columbus’ crew to sight land. The piece “sails” over the school’s entrance canopy on a column symbolizing the Pinta’s mast and crow’s nest.