The Bronx Debate Academy at Aurelia Greene Educational Campus

MS 644: The Bronx Debate Academy at Aurelia Greene Educational Campus School is a new 68,000 sf primary school located in the High Bridge neighborhood of the Bronx which is comprised of five (5) stories and a basement. The building program includes 21 student classrooms and specialized instruction rooms such as science, art, and music classrooms. Large spaces that encourage community engagement include a full-service cafeteria and kitchen, a multi-purpose room that serves dual functions as a gymnasium and auditorium, a library, and an exercise room.

The design challenges include a significantly sloping site and maintaining planning efficiencies necessary to adhere to the budget. A decision to panelize the façade using an insulated pre-cast concrete system reduced the duration of the anticipated construction schedule. An Integrated Design Process was employed. BIM was used among all design disciplines to ensure document coordination. Energy modelling was used to analyze the optimal building orientation relative to potential energy use as part of the project’s compliance with NYC 2019 Green Schools Guide. Analysis from the modelling also informed the selection of building envelope components.