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The Urban School builds upon a rich history of academic excellence with its new Academic and Wellness Center in the iconic Haight Ashbury neighborhood. The building parti is an open and flexible plan punctuated by a series of light-filled courtyards that support the communal spirit of the students.
Working in collaboration with Pfau Long Architects, Groundworks Office developed concepts for three new courtyards, a roof garden and streetscape. Each courtyard is intimate and uses a simple material palette to create spaces for students to occupy. The roof garden is kept as a flexible space that will be used for a variety of organized and ad-hoc events. The design incorporates stormwater planter structures that increase water quality as well as create educational opportunities for the school community.
Committed to the overarching goal to preserve water quality for the San Francisco Bay watershed, the campus grounds are also inspired by school spirit and close-knit connections between students and faculty.The Urban School builds upon a rich history of academic excellence with its new Academic and Wellness Center in Haight Ashbury, one of San Francisco’s most iconic neighborhoods. The building parti is an open and flexible plan punctuated by a series of light-filled courtyards that support the communal spirit of the students. Our concept for each courtyard embraces a mixture of biophilic design principles and good old-fashioned design that creates comfortable and social spaces for students. The roof garden is a dynamic space that supports active recreation while incorporating an innovative stormwater detention basin.