Since 1875 elementary schools have stood on the site of the Baldwin (formerly Agassiz) School in Cambridge, and HMFH made every effort to preserve the memory and spirit of the school it replaced. The 1916 school was bursting at its seams with only 13 classrooms, a makeshift library in an old boiler room, and no gym, cafeteria, art, or music rooms.
The new, five-story building contains two classrooms each for grades K-8, with each pair sharing a project room. Two large corner rooms accommodate science and art. The sun-filled, top-floor library incorporates original beams and wood paneling from the old school, and its story-telling alcove is reached through a doorway, complete with original leaded glass transom, saved from the old school.
A cafeteria, gym, and performance space–virtually nonexistent in the old school–are tucked below grade and brightened by sidewalk skylights. As in the library, doorways are reused, including the old main entrance, which now leads to the new cafeteria. Each classroom, office and activity space is linked to the school-wide voice, video, and data networks.