Gran Kriegel Nets Brooklyn Design Award

NEW YORK — The Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce honored New York firm Gran Kriegel with the 2007 Building Brooklyn Design Award for the PS/IS 395 school and community center.

Involving the restoration of a former industrial building, the 140,000 multifunctional project features junior high and middle schools with an integrated community center. Commissioned by the New York City School Construction Authority, PS/IS 395 serves 1,100 K-12 students in Community School District 22.

The integrated school project evolved around the belief that students perform better and make greater academic and social progress in an educational environment of continuity rather than one of separate middle and high schools, officials say. The incorporation of extensive special education components and community accessibility were also important factors influencing the design strategy.

The complex, which covers one city block, features separate PS and IS classroom wings linked to central shared facilities, such as the gymnasium, auditorium and cafeteria. Classroom elements are limited to three floors with shared library, science, technology and art facilities on the upper floors. The configuration of the complex allows classroom areas to be secured after hours while opening major shared spaces for community use after school hours, officials say.

Preserving the dominant brick construction of the existing structure, the design team incorporated many of former industrial building’s original elements. Both the gymnasium and auditorium are defined by hulking bowstring trusses that reflect the area’s industrial past. The expansive use of glazing floods the gymnasium with natural daylight, while electrically operated blinds can be used to mitigate strong direct sunlight and glare.