Work for this school for 600 students involved a lengthy site selection process aimed at minimizing residential disruption and strengthening neighborhood context. The school now provides a clear and compatible edge to the neighborhood with easy access to the community facilities. The design allows limited access to shared areas, allowing flexibility in school security: the gymnasium, pool and cafeteria can be accessed either individually or collectively without entering the classroom areas.

 

The program included 24 classrooms, administrative areas, art/music rooms, a media center, gymnasium, swimming pool and cafeteria. Individual classrooms are expressed with the sail-like forms inspired by the single-masted sailboats popular in nearby New Haven Harbor. These forms create an undulating façade, animating the street and reducing the mass of the building on the three primary façades that face the neighborhood. Students and contractors participated in workshops to sculpt bricks that later were integrated with the facades, expressing the hopes and aspirations of the community.