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The Reece School
Camino Nuevo High School
Dena New Primary Center
Four Corners School
John C. Daniels
Middle School, Sidwell Friends School
Vail Mountain School
Rosa Parks School
Klein Campus Center
North Central Junior High
PS 253QJohn C. Daniels School
An interior courtyard gives children a safe outdoor place to play.
Designed by Davis Brody Bond Aedas to accommodate 650 students, the John C. Daniels School, a pre-K-8 school, comprises two main levels housing classrooms, a library, a full size gymnasium, as well as specialty art, music and science facilities. A large cafeteria/choral space includes a moveable wall, and is available for use by the community for large gatherings and functions. The materials and scale are in keeping with the surrounding smaller buildings and homes, maintaining the continuity of the urban fabric. Constructed of masonry with repetitive punched windows, the new building fits comfortably into the context of the surrounding neighborhood, an area of New Haven with a diverse mix of institutional, commercial and residential use.
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A key goal in the design of the school was to provide a secure yet child-friendly environment for the students in the midst of its urban setting. To achieve this, the façade facing the street features smaller punched windows. A safe haven for the younger children was created through the design of an interior courtyard featuring an amphitheater, reading areas, multi-colored rubberized playspaces and landscaped areas. Students are closely monitored, since teacher workshops are located overlooking the play areas.
Placing entries at each corner of the building with glass-enclosed stairways to the second level, aided ease of circulation. Windows at the ends of each corridor provide students with views of the surrounding neighborhood. The glass-enclosed circulation around the courtyard, with openings between floors, allows for both visual and social interaction between the student age groups. The school’s atrium allows interaction between students and bathes the main circulation routes in natural light, furthering the school’s transparent, open design.
The building’s siting along the east/west axis minimizes solar heat gain via overhangs and treated glass, as well as maximizing light into classrooms and corridors. Deciduous trees also mitigate heat gain. MEP systems achieve the highest possible rating, surpassing Connecticut energy guidelines.
Formal name of project: John C. Daniels School
Location: New Haven, Connecticut
Gross square footage: 100,000 sq.ft.
Total construction cost: $21,000,000
Owner: New Haven Public Schools
Architect:
Davis Brody Bond Aedas
315 Hudson Street
New York, NY 10013
212.633.4700 (phone)
212.633.4760 (fax)
www.davisbrodyaedas.com
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