Valence College Preparatory Charter School

New York, New York

Firm

Loci Architecture

Client

Area

35,000 sq.ft.

Completion Date

08/2021

John Bartelstone; Loci Architecture

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Needing more space to serve and educate middle school children from surrounding low-income communities, Valence College Preparatory Charter School approached Loci to design a 35,000-square-foot space on the first three floors of a new residential development in the Rego Park neighborhood of New York City. On the ground floor, a large all-purpose room and generously sized activity spaces support the school’s variety of programs, and a tiered seating area in the main lobby encourages informal gatherings. The upper floors contain quiet classrooms flooded with natural light.

Combining multiple tenant spaces into one school required special consideration and understanding of the school’s functions; working around an existing structural system was a formidable task. Despite the challenges, Loci designed a variety of flexible gathering spaces and created an efficient and cost-effective urban school environment that is inspiring, welcoming, and safe.