The Abigail Adams School, Public School 131

Design team
Donald E. Henry Jr. (Principal); Martin Kropf (Project Manager); Oni Lloyd (Project Architect); Martin D. Stein (Planner); Jonathan C. Ruiz (Project Designer); Maggie Chuc (Detailer); Ruting Li (Design Team)

Built as an expansion of the Abigail Adams School, otherwise known as Public School 131 in Jamaica, Queens, the four-story structure adds 384 seats to an elementary school already bursting at the seams. Serving a student population of 872 students, the existing facility is eligible for the National Register of Historic Places and as such, presented some challenges when it came to the design and construction of the new L-shaped building. To align the massing and work within the language of the historic two-story façade, the addition was set back along the upper levels to diminish its presence among the existing school and the low-lying residences nearby.

Critical to the mission of the project was to provide ADA compliance in the older structure and create an at-grade lobby to serve as an arrival point for students and staff. The addition also includes a new administrative suite, 20 new classrooms, a gymnasium, exercise room, an auxiliary dining space, library, medical offices, and an expanded outdoor play area.

Additional Information

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