Photo by Tom Holdsworth
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Northeast Community Propel Academy

Back to a Better School: Philadelphia’s newest school encourages community learning through shared spaces

Northeast Community Propel Academy opened its doors just in time for the 2021 school year. After nearly two years of online learning, students and their families returned to normal life in a school that is anything but. Thanks to its three-story design, 180,000-sf of space and 43 classrooms, the 1,600 students the school has capacity for can expect small class sizes centered around group learning experiences. The building feels alive with its collaboration spaces near media and technology centers, located next to each grade’s section of the school.

The school’s three-story height and wide-open hallways were made possible by the use of thin concrete slabs and tightly spaced steel beams for the foundation, which DCI designed for maximum floor space throughout the school.

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Location:
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
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Square Feet:
180,000
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Stories:
3
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Service:
Structural
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Industries:
PK-12
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Primary Material:
Concrete, Steel

Project Highlights

  • Gymnasium with a two-and-a-half story high ceiling, so no kickballs can fly too high.
  • Steel moment frames with rigid connections are used throughout the building and resulted in an 18-month construction time.
  • The building’s monumental stairs in the front and in the cafeteria makes getting to and from class easy.
Steven Krumenacker web
people

Steven Krumenacker

Erik Humes web
people

Erik Humes

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