Bronx Charter School for Excellence

The original Bronx Charter School for Excellence is located on a residential street in the Parkchester neighborhood of the Bronx. This three-story brick building of wood and steel structure was originally constructed in the 1950s as a police office building before being converted into a new 15,000 square foot K-5 school space. As part of the build out, a new exterior elevator tower was constructed and the existing garage was converted into a new entrance. Bright and bold primary colors were used throughout the design scheme to create a stimulating yet playful education space.

With its needs growing each academic year, it eventually became evident that BCSE would need to expand. An adjacent plot was secured, and we were contracted to design two new additions that would ultimately total over 40,000 additional square feet.

The original elementary school was expanded by a two-story addition, which features a simple facade paying homage to BCSE’s humble beginnings. A new middle school is located in the second addition, a striking seven-story-tall tower that can be seen from nearby above-ground subway stations and speaks to the school’s--and neighborhood’s--growth and progress. This addition has earned the high-performing school LEED Silver certification and includes a cafeteria with a teaching kitchen, usable roofs, a student lounge with an accessible deck, and an impressive full-sized, two-story gym. Local sourcing, recycled materials and energy-efficient fixtures were all incorporated to help the school achieve LEED Silver while staying within a relatively modest construction budget.