PROJECT  City Neighbors Hamilton & City Neighbors High School

LOCATION  Baltimore, , 

PROJECT COMPLETION DATE  8/22/2014

ARCHITECT  Kann Partners

ASSOCIATED ARCHITECT  Isackson Design Group

OWNER/CLIENT  City Neighbors Foundation

CONTRACTOR  F.M. Harvey Construction

PHOTOGRAPHER  Pamela Bolig , Mia & Kenny Clapp , City Neighbors Foundation

DESIGN TEAM  Kann Partners, Inc. - Project Architect, Isackson Design Group - Project Design

SUMMARY DESCRIPTION OF PROJECT:

What would it take for every student to be Known, Loved, and Inspired? This design question was used to create two (2) new schools: City Neighbors Hamilton, a Grade K-8 school and City Neighbors High School, a Grade 9-12 school, to serve six hundred (600) students in Baltimore, Maryland. In 2009, City Neighbors had the opportunity to transform a former public middle school in the Hamilton Community, to create a new K-12 campus to house the two (2) new schools and intentionally connect the learning environment to City Neighbors’ mission and vision. Nestled in a 5.4 acre site, the 132,785 NSF buildings were renovated over six (6) years, which required creative and cost-effective solutions to modernize its infrastructure and change the message of the building. Major site constructions included the demolition of a portable classroom building to create a new entrance for the High School with a new parking lot and provide ADA accessibility to both schools. The existing site presented the opportunity to create communal spaces, such as outdoor amphitheaters, patios and a park-like playground. The interior transformation of the buildings included redefining the use of hallways, classrooms and walls, to intentionally embed City Neighbors’ mission and vision, leading to a unique culture of collaboration, independence, and high academic achievement. Rooted in the strong belief that the environment is the third teacher, the use of the physical environment and its design are key design elements of City Neighbors schools to create school culture, impact teaching and learning, and directly support community engagements and social relationships, and boost collaboration, independence and high academic achievement. With the infusion of glass between each classrooms and hallways to allow for passive supervision, and the installation of built-in benches and community spaces, the hallways were redesigned as community spaces for collaborative work. The use of the hallways as extensions of the classroom promote independence and trust for the students. Communal spaces such as the cafeteria, the lobby, and village squares were designed with student and teacher input for a variety of uses, from classroom meetings to project collaborations, and to parent and community events. These spaces instill a sense of community, joy, and respect for all stakeholders. The interior walls of the building are designed to bring a sense of warmth and beauty through the installation of wood, glass, and gallery walls. The gallery walls were created throughout as a practical way for teachers to display and document on-going student work. Directly supporting project based learning, these documentation walls serve to show the value placed on student work - and are an integral component of the professional development of staff. The building interiors are vibrant yet inviting. With warm earth tones, carpeting, restored wood floors, upcycled fixtures and cabinetry, architectural details, and a playful use of furniture and furnishings, the interiors create an educational environment that has a home-like feel, a college campus atmosphere, and a deeply embedded message, that City Neighbors is a school where everyone is Known, Loved, and Inspired.

IMAGE CAPTIONS & CREDITS

IMAGE 1  City Neighbors Hamilton entrance with stage and amphitheater, (C) 2013 Bolig Photography

IMAGE 2  City Neighbors Hamilton Hallway with Nook and Gallery (C) 2015 City Neighbors Foundation

IMAGE 3  City Neighbors High School students in the lobby, (C) 2013 Bolig Photography

IMAGE 4  City Neighbors High School with restored wood floor, full height marker & tackable board and flexible furniture

IMAGE 5  City Neighbors High School Pod with home-like environment for individual and and collaborative work, (C) 2013 Bolig Photography

IMAGE 6  City Neighbors High School Cafe with various seating and glass doors to outdoor patio, (C) 2013 Bolig Photography

IMAGE 7  City Neighbors Hamilton - Reggio Inspired Kindergarten, (C) 2013 Bolig Photography

MEDIA FOR DOWNLOAD
Project PDF