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Designing a school that connects with the neighborhood

At a Glance

  • 5

    Story Building

  • 322

    Students

  • 60K

    Square Feet

Location
Brooklyn, New York
Offices
Client
  • NYC School Construction Authority

P.S. 413 Joanne Seminara School of Law & Medicine

The New York City School Construction Authority (SCA) wanted to build a new pre-K – 5 school, P.S. 413K, in the heart of Brooklyn’s Bay Ridge neighborhood. SCA selected a unique parcel of land near Third Avenue’s historic storefronts and brick façades, which frame a view of the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge. They engaged us to help design a school that would complement its surroundings. 

Serving as the architect, we designed this five-story, 60,000-square-foot (5,574-square-metre) school—SCA's first all-electric new school—with classrooms facing Steadman Square, a rare public open space in the bend of the urban grid. These north-facing rooms provide each primary learning space with a source of optimal natural light and views of Lower Manhattan. Spaces for supporting educational resources and specialized instruction sit opposite a short central hall that scales learning and promotes tailored instruction. We rounded out our design of the school with a hybrid reinforced concrete frame and long-span steel structure, complemented by a quickly erected panelized precast building enclosure that reduced disruption to local traffic.

Named after a lifelong Brooklyn resident, lawyer, teacher, and community activist who championed education and public service, today the Joanne Seminara School of Law and Medicine is a place where kids can learn and play in a safe, modern environment. 

At a Glance

  • 5

    Story Building

  • 322

    Students

  • 60K

    Square Feet

Location
Brooklyn, New York
Offices
Client
  • NYC School Construction Authority

Meet Our Team

Leo Cordoba, Senior Associate, Architect

I help craft great spaces through the lens of sustainability, social responsibility, and joy.

Danny Chan, Senior Associate, Technology Consultant, Buildings

Every successful telecommunications and security systems project begins with understanding the client's needs
Danny Chan Senior Associate, Technology Consultant, Buildings Read More

Carolina Charles, Senior Associate, Buildings

I am passionate about designing education spaces that help kids learn and play in a safe, modern environment.

Elizabeth Geldres, Senior Associate, Architecture

I’m passionate about community-focused design, creating spaces that enrich lives and balance sustainable design with practical solutions.

Leo Cordoba

Senior Associate, Architect

Danny Chan

Senior Associate, Technology Consultant, Buildings

Carolina Charles

Senior Associate, Buildings

Elizabeth Geldres

Senior Associate, Architecture

We’re better together

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  • Design your career

    Work with passionate people who are experts in their field. Our teams love what they do and are driven by how their work makes an impact on the communities they serve.

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