Josiah Quincy Upper School
Sited at the threshold of Boston’s Chinatown neighborhood, the new Josiah Quincy Upper School is a showcase for equitable, community-focused, sustainable design as one of the first projects to open under the Green New Deal for Boston Public Schools initiative. The high-rise facility creates expanded opportunities for students and community members, with spacious, light-filled learning and common areas.
Boston, MA
178,000 sf
6-12
650
Tracking LEED Platinum
“This state-of-the-art facility represents our unwavering commitment to providing a world-class education in an environment that nurtures and inspires.”
Mary Skipper | Superintendent, Boston Public Schools
Together with the adjacent Josiah Quincy Elementary School, the new Upper School forms an academic gateway into Boston’s downtown, establishing a notable academic presence. A sheltering entrance plaza welcomes the community into a soaring, light-filled cafeteria, which is anchored by a custom mural that evokes the rich culture of Chinatown.
The mural depicts an illustrated aerial view of Boston, highlighting the relationship between the new upper school and the elementary school. Above the schools are their respective mascots, the Dragon for JQES and the Phoenix for JQUS. Each are clutching a “Pearl of Wisdom” with the International Baccalaureate program logo shimmering inside.
An inviting vertical circulation core links the upper-level academic floors and lower-level community-oriented spaces, including the cafeteria, media center, gym, auditorium, and black box theater. The school’s high-rise design required vertical stacking of program spaces. Four-story-high trusses enable the academic floors to span, bridge-like, across the voluminous public-facing spaces uninterrupted by columns.
“If you think about a school as the physical embodiment of all the talent, imagination, and possibility of the young people it serves — that is this building!”
Michelle Wu | Mayor, City of Boston
Classrooms line the southern façade with expansive windows for daylighting. Central collaborative project areas on each academic floor link classrooms, science labs, and breakout areas, accommodating various learning modes with flexible furniture.
Despite the constraints of the school’s one-acre urban site adjacent to two major highways, the design maintains a connection to nature and prioritizes student well-being via an accessible rooftop.
Complete with an outdoor STEM classroom, gardens, and walking paths, the rooftop provides space for movement, hands-on project work, and mindful contemplation, far removed from the noise and air pollution below. An innovative and efficient HVAC system draws in fresh, highly filtered air for classrooms to ensure a healthy interior environment.
Awards/Credits
- Photography and Videography, Ed Wonsek
