PSIS 210M

5 stories / 75,000 sf
2006 Completion

NYC School Construction Authority
Client

Michael Fieldman Architects
Michael Fieldman, FAIA
Design Architect

Rawlings architects pc
Associate Architect

Silman
Structural Engineer

Lilker Associates
MEPF Engineer

VDA
Vertical Transport

Skolodz and Associates
Food Service

Bovis
General Contractor

Eduard Hueber
Photographer

Located on 152nd Street on the west side of Manhattan, the school is a replacement facility for a vacated school on the same site. It accommodates 530 students ranging from kindergarten thru to the 8th grade. Notwithstanding a very tight and limited urban site and restrictions in building height, the program includes an auditorium/gymnasium, cafeteria, library and art/music rooms in addition to classrooms. In response to the tight site, the play area is located on the roof with a transparent mesh enclosure, taking advantage of magnificent views of the Manhattan skyline to the south.

The 1st Floor entry lobby looks down into the 2-story auditorium/gymnasium space through architecturally exposed structural steel bowstring trusses and columns. Light enters the gym space from the lobby and through large glass block windows on the north side. Light also plays a key role in the vertical stair towers as slotted windows create small-scale punctuations at stair landings while the primary stair is flanked by floor-to-ceiling windows. Corridors on the upper floors end in windows at the east and west sides of the building, admitting more light into the building.