Grimes Elementary School

Mount Vernon, NY

The new Grimes Elementary School was located in a very tight urban site which was shared with another school - an existing alternative high school. The challenge was to create distinctive, separate learning environments for students of different ages. The site master plan was developed to minimize the interaction between the two schools. Site circulation studies resulted in a solution which allowed each school to function entirely separately, sharing only a loading dock.

The new three-stories-plus-basement Grimes building provides classrooms and support spaces for 450 Pre-K through fifth grade students. In addition to classrooms, a kitchen/cafeteria, gym, science rooms, a multimedia center, auditorium and underground teacher parking were also part of the project.