Making the mass in small pieces to fit into the neighborhood
Knit into its tightly woven neighborhood
The media center entry façade
The building shapes & encloses the children’s activity space
Ironwood & brick tapestry playspace backdrop
Façade specialized to gather south light
Larger ‘lower school’ classrooms step forward
Patterning the gymnasium volume
Bringing down the scale for children’s welcome
Low, sheltering entry for greeting & gathering
‘Welcome bench’ spans from inside to outside
Low maintenance open joint rain screen envelope
Marriage of ironwood & brick reflects the residential fabric
Light filled central spine with hovering media center
Warm polished concrete & wood grain plastic laminate
Light spine running through media center & lobby clerestory
Animated play of light
Joyful light & shadow
Light infuser
Clerestory composition play
Cafetorium gathering/neighborhood living room
Gymnasium luminance
Moveable reception desk privacy screens
Classroom clerestory windows & continuous ceiling form
100% daylight makes for better learning
Academic office daylight
Integrated light shelf & children’s bench alcove
Reception desk spaces
Benches detailed for the touch promote conversation
Simply crafted details make a school a home
Recognition:
- 2015 American Architecture Award, The Chicago Athenaeum and The European Center
- 2015 Honor Award for Design Excellence, AIA/New England
- 2013 Harleston-Parker Award, AIA/Boston Society of Architects & City of Boston
- 2013 Honor Award Education Facilities Design, AIA/Boston Society of Architects & AIA New York
- 2013 Honor Award for Design Excellence, AIA/Boston Society of Architects
Client: Town of Belmont
Associate Architect: Burt Hill
Location: Belmont, MA
Size: 88,000 gsf
Construction Cost: $28.8M
Completion: 2011
Photography:
David Lena
Paul Warchol
Jonathan Levi Architects
‘Double school’ merges civic and residential scales
Roger Wellington School
In order to reduce the perceived size of this school for 575 elementary students, the building is organized into two ‘schools-within-a-school’ – each with its own entry, classroom wing and age-appropriate outdoor play spaces. The upper and lower schools have their own identity but share a common space ‘axis’ which includes the gymnasium, cafetorium, and administration offices. Spatial modules were employed that allow for the future flexible relocation of uses as needs evolve. The building is LEED Silver ‘certifiable’ with such features as 100% daylighting, a high performance exterior envelope, sunscreens, geothermal powerplant and displacement air ventilation.
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Jonathan Levi Architects
