Shared Facilities Build Community
Greater Egleston High School (GEHS) is a pilot school of the Boston Public Schools that serves students who have home, work, and/or other challenges that make it difficult to succeed in a traditional school setting. As demand for its services increased, we were asked to design additional space that would engage students and provide a welcoming and supportive environment. With this goal in mind, we transformed the school and an adjacent car barn into a beautiful, warm, and inspiring learning environment that sometimes also plays the role of “second home” for students.
At the heart of the new facility we designed a large, new multipurpose room, which serves to bring together an entire community. It not only functions as an ample gathering space for the school’s students, but also provides a recreational space for the Egleston Branch YMCA, as well as a rehearsal space for a local theater group.
Location
Roxbury, MA
Client
Urban Edge
Size / Area
15,000 SF
Students
80
Grades
9-12
Inspiring Spaces Prepare Students for College and Careers
GEHS places a strong emphasis on real world learning with internships and career exploration. Our team actively engaged with stakeholders during the planning phase of this project to provide the students and staff with:
- new classrooms
- science labs
- an art room with adjacent dark room
- a resource library
- a computer lab
- a kitchen
- a conference room
We designed a beautiful new entrance for the school, which includes an interior lift to serve the split-level space, thereby ensuring universal accessibility. Another essential component of the program was much-needed office space for GEHS faculty, therapists, and case managers who provide ongoing support for students.
“The result of Greater Egleston’s physical transformation is that our students feel a sense of pride and appreciation for their school, which deepens their investment in the caring and upkeep of a space that we often refer to as our ‘second home.’ The redesign and renovation transformed our students’ state of mind and attitudes about attending school.”
– Julie Coles, Former Head of School
Sustainability in the Heart of the City
Sustainability is an important design consideration in all of our projects and both the design and material selection for the renovated space focused on the sustainable principles of:
- reduction of energy use for heating, cooling, and lighting
- indoor air quality
- durability and economy of materials used
Inspired by the building’s original industrial use as a sign manufacturing facility, we used corrugated metal cladding at the new entrance, and exposed brick, concrete floors, and metal trims throughout the interior to provide durable finishes and simple detailing. Glass blocks and borrowed light throughout create a balance between openness and privacy and bring daylight into the center of the building to produce a positive, inviting, and collaborative learning environment.
