Hillside School
A primary school designed as a cluster of small buildings, each scaled to the age group it serves.
Year
2023
Location
Braddock, PA
Program
Education
Area
22,600 sq ft
Status
Studio Project
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Description
The Hillside School avoids the model of the monolithic school building in favor of a village — a cluster of small structures connected by covered walkways, each one scaled to the age group it serves. The project was developed for a site in Braddock, a community undergoing revitalization in Pittsburgh’s Mon Valley.
The youngest children have the smallest rooms, with ceilings just above their heads. As children age through the school, the rooms grow with them. The largest spaces, for the oldest students, open onto terraces with views across the valley.
All buildings are constructed in cross-laminated timber, exposed internally. The exposed structure teaches the children about how buildings are made.
Credits
Course
Community Design Studio
Instructor
CMU School of Architecture
Structure
Cross-Laminated Timber
Semester
Spring 2023
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