Awardee: Structural Renovation $25 to $75M
Oyster-Adams Bilingual School, Adams Campus
Ehlert Bryan
This 89,000 SF expansion and modernization of the historic Oyster-Adams school redefines what it means to honor the past while building for the future. The design modernizes the 1928 building by providing a new welcome center, dedicated gymnasium, science and technology labs, discovery commons spaces, a library, and additional classrooms while maintaining the street-facing façade and incorporating historic details. A fully occupied floor is added within the original attic by a reconfiguration of the rear half of the existing roof and the addition of a new framed floor. A new entry level at street elevation is excavated and carved into the existing basement space, providing improved accessibility from the exterior along with connectivity to the new addition. A relocated elevator within the existing structure and a new elevator within the addition improve building circulation. Engineering challenges are met head-on with extensive coordination amongst the design and construction team, including complex underpinning, temporary shoring, and the addition traversing a dramatic 40-foot grade change across the site. Designed to achieve net-zero energy, the school integrates high-performance systems and sustainable strategies throughout. Green roof and stormwater bioretention systems are incorporated into the site, new addition, and existing building.
