Bridge Boston Charter School
Bridge Boston, a public charter school drawing students from Boston’s most underserved communities, engaged HMFH to renovate and expand a former community health center into a new home for the growing PK-8 school.
Roxbury, MA
10,000 sf
36,000 sf
PK-8
400
85
A complete renovation of an existing five-story building, a 3,000 sf addition, and a stand-alone gymnasium provide a variety of spaces to meet the school’s mission to nurture the whole child. Enlivened by the daily activities of students and staff, a daylit, two-story open atrium is the heart of the school and offers a welcoming space for families and visitors. This central space functions as both a library and a multi-purpose gathering area, with nooks for students and educators to work one-on-one or collaborate and mobile shelving that can be easily rearranged for events such as all-school performances.
“This project is a great story of adaptive re-use of a former health center. I really appreciate the elegant development of the interiors, as well as the nice use of natural daylight and reflective finishes.”
Jury Comments | Learning By Design
Safe and Supported
Visually connected spaces, carefully integrated acoustics, plentiful natural light, and calming colors and materials help transform the formerly austere office building into a vibrant school community where students can seek refuge, thrive, and learn.
Playful exterior design elements cultivate a sense of place in the school’s urban context. An array of windows with soft blue frames revitalize the formerly windowless and monolithic brick exterior. New terraces cut into the hillside create a welcoming entrance for parking, pickup, and drop-off, as well as access to a new gymnasium and adjacent play areas.
Awards/Credits
- Outstanding Project, Learning by Design Spring Educational Facilities Design Awards, 2018
- Photography, Ed Wonsek
