Metropolitan Schools Campus

In Forest Hills, an 8-acre brownfield site was transformed into a comprehensive educational complex that housed three distinct institutions: a 1,000-student high school, a 750-student intermediate school/high school, and a 170-student specialized education facility. The design balanced autonomy with shared resources, featuring a loop road with dedicated entries and separate outdoor recreation areas for each school. While independently managed, the schools shared key facilities including a kitchen, cafeteria, auditorium, gymnasium, library, media center, and centralized building systems. The site plan was carefully crafted to optimize circulation and create a sense of individual identity for each institution.

Bold colors were used to visually distinguish each school division within the structure, with the facade’s composition articulating the building mass and delineating individual school spaces. The compact massing not only minimized structural framing costs but also resulted in significant savings in perimeter construction, building volume, and mechanical systems, contributing to the project’s overall economic efficiency. The project team successfully navigated the complexities of designing a cohesive structure that harmoniously integrated the unique identities and requirements of each school.

This complex demonstrated how urban redevelopment, and architectural design can address diverse educational needs while contributing to the urban landscape, exemplifying the balance between functional requirements, aesthetic considerations, and economic constraints in modern educational architecture.

Photo Credit: Elliott Kaufman Architectural Photography