THE OPPORTUNITY

New York City School Construction Authority commissioned PS&S to design a new state-of-the-art primary school for an overcrowded district in the south east section of the Bronx, New York. PS 317X Bronx entails the design and construction of a new primary school building for the Bronx District housing PreK-5 students. The net program area is 36,208 SF with a target gross area of 65,813 SF and an adjusted capacity of 432 students.

THE CHALLENGE

The school site is a compact 1-acre vacant lot near a busy intersection at White Plains Road and Bruckner Boulevard. Fitting the indoor and outdoor program on the site was a big challenge.

THE PS&S SOLUTION

After studying a variety of concepts, PS&S came up with a compact building footprint solution that took full advantage of the south facing views, creation of larger play yard spaces, and a prominent glass entrance at the south western corner of the building. The 5-story plus cellar plan is a rectangular block at the lower levels that transitions to an “L” shaped configuration at the upper floors. The design seamlessly interweaves varying architectural elements and geometries into a tapestry befitting the school and its natural environment.