Park Century School

Park Century School
Elementary School for Learning Disabled Students

An existing concrete tilt-up warehouse building is converted to a school for elementary school age children with learning disabilities. Only two sides of the building can be opened up to provide access and natural light. The program called for a large number of tutoring rooms and classrooms with special uses, a gymnasium, and a public area for Community Outreach. Functions in the building are organized around a created ?Main Street? which is defined by a large multi-color skylight above a central stair. ?Main Street? is paved with natural stone and has large palm trees planted along a stone wall, to create the illusion of being outdoors. Access ways to classrooms and other functions radiate off ?Main Street? and follow a succession of two story spaces with skylights and oversized fans. Large Classrooms are located on the Southwest side of the building where new windows were cut into the concrete walls. Structural Columns were relocated in order to create the large clear span in the gymnasium. On the second floor interior pods of tutoring rooms purposely do not intersect the roof, enhancing the open feeling.
The new fa?ade is a glass curtain wall of clear glass, with four glass trees floating in front of it, with a background of unfinished plywood.