Without any additional room to expand outward, the Grace Church School in Greenwich Village decided to expand upward with a rooftop athletic center. The 14,000-sf expansion includes offices, classrooms, locker rooms, storage facilities, a fitness center, and a golf simulator room. The centerpiece of the expansion, however, is a large, multipurpose gymnasium.
The gym can be divided into two spaces so, in addition to its use as a gymnasium, the space can be used as a performance and gathering space. It is capped with an arched steel roof equipped with skylights that use anti-glare Solera panels that draw light deep into the building’s core.
Courtesy Francis Dzikowski.
Students in grades 7-12 get to the new addition via an extended stairwell. This stairwell leads them to a new student “commons” area that connects to the main gym space and also provides an area for informal gatherings. An acoustically isolating concrete slab set on floor jacks reduces vibration and sound transmission to the classrooms below.
Courtesy MBB.
Related Stories
Higher Education | Jun 7, 2017
Building for the future: Five trends in higher education projects
Preparing students for life after graduation has become the primary motivator behind construction initiatives at U.S. colleges and universities.
Higher Education | Jun 6, 2017
Funding remains a concern, but not always an impediment
Colleges and universities are adept at tapping a variety of sources—taxpayers, investors, donors, and, yes, students—to fund their growth ambitions.
K-12 Schools | Jun 5, 2017
PK-8 school will be Denver’s first CHPS-certified building
A “learning stair” will connect the cafeteria to the main level.
Higher Education | May 31, 2017
Space utilization in higher education: more than sf per student
There’s more to space utilization than how often a room is occupied. What happens inside an occupied room is just as important.
Education Facilities | May 22, 2017
Educational design taking lessons from tech firms
Recently, in educational design, we have seen a trend toward more flexible learning spaces.
Libraries | May 16, 2017
A New York-area community college adds new zest to its library
Wired seating and group work areas abound.
K-12 Schools | May 1, 2017
Seattle’s first vertically-oriented middle school breaks ground
The building will provide 74,289 sf of space across its five-story classroom bar.
University Buildings | Apr 26, 2017
UMass Amherst is home to America’s first CLT academic building
The building brings the architecture, landscape architecture, and building technology departments under one roof.
Higher Education | Apr 24, 2017
Small colleges face challenges — and opportunities
Moody’s Investor Service forecasts that closure rates for small institutions will triple in the coming years, and mergers will double.
Green | Mar 29, 2017
Copenhagen Zoo and BIG unveil yin yang-shaped panda habitat
The new habitat will sit between two existing buildings, including the Elephant House designed by Norman Foster.
