INOA Architecture

BROOKLYN AMITY SCHOOL

Brooklyn, NY  USA

INFO+

This new construction building on a private school campus in Brooklyn introduces a new form that accommodates large program spaces while working with the contextual zoning restrictions. Zoning height restrictions in Sheepshead Bay neighborhood of New York City require a low lying street facade and permits low zoning floor area of construction that would have made the project incapable of accommodating the entirety of the schools program; as a solution the gym space transforms into an auditorium using a system of retractable seating, portable screens, and folding partitions, creating an efficient use of space and maximizing the utility of the school’s available real estate.   On the exterior of the building, a sloped roofline was introduced to unify the low street facade with the higher spaces towards the rear of the building. This form allows spaces with larger volumes, including the gym/auditorium, dining hall, and lobby space to all be incorporated into the building envelope seamlessly.  The greater height also allows the mechanical units to be hidden in the form of the building.