Project File: Connecting schools

Feb. 1, 2006
Urban Community School (UCS), Cleveland

Urban Community School (UCS), Cleveland, is a pre-K to 8 independent school that teaches a diverse group of at-risk students. After reaching its capacity of 400 students several years ago, it began efforts to raise money for a new school.

“Our previous facilities served us well for 37 years, but forced our children to be spread amongst two buildings about a mile apart,” says Sister Maureen Doyle, director. “Our new 21st-century facility allows us to open more windows of opportunity and build on our success by serving additional children and their families, unifying our students under one roof, and creating a cohesive and supportive setting for our students and staff.”

The new 76,000-square-foot campus consists of two interconnected wings: a two-story classroom wing, and an adjoining one-story structure for foundation and support facilities. Twenty-six modern classrooms incorporate areas specifically designed for art, music and science. In addition, the building offers larger facilities for a health clinic, psychologist, library, speech therapist and tutors, and includes a large commons area for student dining and a regulation-sized gymnasium.

The new school accommodates 450 students, with room to expand and educate as many as 600 in the future.

The architect is Kaczmar Architects, Inc. (Cleveland).

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