Blue School Expands Lower Manhattan Campus by 45,000 SF
The expansion space is located a few blocks from the school’s longtime home at 241 Water St. which has been reconfigured to serve the school’s pre-primary program through third grade students.
NEW YORK CITY—The Blue School reports it has officially opened its campus expansion facility in Lower Manhattan that it expects will offer the necessary space to expand its program offerings and double its enrollment in the next decade.
Blue School, a non-profit, progressive, independent pre-primary, primary and middle school in Downtown New York City, has opened its new 45,000-square-foot for its fourth to eighth grade students at 156 William St. The expansion space is located a few blocks from the school’s longtime home at 241 Water St. which has been reconfigured to serve the school’s pre-primary program through third grade students.
Designed by New York City-based architectural design firm Rockwell Group, the more than 45,000 square-feet spans over four floors (basement, floors one through three) with flexible modern classrooms and specialized spaces for learning, the company reports. New amenities include a Commons, double-height library, a STEAM lab and art room, and a 1,600-square-foot space for sports and exercise that doubles as an auditorium.
The Blue School and Rockwell Group partnered with local manufacturers and created architectural elements and furnishings designed to allow students and teachers to create multiple environments, from portable, flexible seating to reconfigurable classroom desks.
“Since our founding (in 2006), Blue School has added one grade level per year to grow with our student base,” says Gina Farrar, PhD, head of school for the Blue School. “This campus expansion positions us to serve more students in the future and further fulfill our mission to develop and share an inquiry-based approach to education that truly puts the child at the center. Our goal is to foster creative thinking, nurture human relationships, and inspire a growing passion for learning.”
The independent school created by six academics and artists—including the three founders of Blue Man Group—has grown significantly after first establishing itself in the South Street Seaport District of Manhattan and currently serves approximately 300 children, ages two to 14. This past spring, the first class of Blue School students graduated its middle school.
Matt Goldman, Blue School and Blue Man Group co-founder, says, “The founders take great pride in Blue School’s growth over the years and this campus expansion marks a new chapter that will foster even more learning and creativity within our walls.”