Located in an 1885 landmarked building originally built as a silk ribbon mill, the New Heights Academy Charter School approached ESKW/Architects to expand their existing school program. The school previously occupied part of the cellar, first, and second floors, and through this renovation expanded to fill the majority of the three-story building. The plan allows for an additional 17 classrooms to accommodate the school’s growing student population of 5 - 12th grade. This was made possible by infilling an existing double height sanctuary space on the third floor with new wide-span steel beams. The original “K” shape of the building allowed for ample amounts of daylight to be provided in the corridors and the classrooms. The infill also provided an opportunity to connect the school’s circulation, allowing the flow and identity of the school to be codified in spite of its existing leggy configuration.

Client: Civic Builders.
Program: 5-12th grade charter school expansion, created 17 additional classrooms.
Size: 28,000 SF, 3 stories.
Team: Construction Manager: TLM Group. Structural Engineering: Dunne & Markis Consulting Structural Engineers. Mechanical: Jack Green Associates. Lighting: Jim Conti Lighting Design. Historical Consultant: Higgins Quasebarth & Partners. General Contractor: Kel-Mar Designs.
Photography: ESKW/Architects.