PS 330Q Helen M. Marshall School

PS 330Q Helen M. Marshall school, built for the New York City School Construction Authority, replaced a temporary school structure with a light-filled, 4-story building that spans a city block. The building is designed around a glass-enclosed “gymnatorium,” a transparent multi-purpose space that filters light and views throughout the building. Along with other common spaces, the gymnatorium provides a community hub for the neighborhood.

Classrooms are situated along the building’s quiet south side, with views of Flushing Meadows Corona Park. Strategies to mitigate glare and optimize natural light were among sustainable features that met the SCA’s Green School Guidelines, and earned a LEED Certified Equivalent. Hallways, stairs, abundant transparent walls, and exterior views are designed to enable children to orient themselves intuitively, and color-coded floors simplify way-finding. A nature-inspired interior palette features wood-slatted ceilings that evoke a sense of warmth and richness uncommon in New York public schools. Sculptures at the entrance and soaring library spaces honor the American artist Isamu Noguchi, once a Queens resident.

PS 330Q, a progressive paradigm shift from conventional public school typologies, was featured with other internationally acclaimed schools in Architectural Record’s “Schools of the 21st Century” issue (January 2015).