This project is a renovation proposal for an urban, open-plan elementary school and community center in the heart of
Portland, Maine’s Historic West End Neighborhood. The school is next-in-line to receive a renovation in the Portland Public School District.
The Howard C. Reiche Community School was built in 1972 on an open-plan, with no interior walls separating classrooms. It is one of two open-plan schools still remaining in Maine. The school sits on a 5.2 acre site in a National Historic Preservation District. The school is 88,481 ft2 with 18 classrooms and a capacity of 371 students. The school also houses a community center with a branch library, health clinic, and swimming pool. Reiche is truly a place for the community to learn, gather and play.
The goal of this project is to create a series of interventions which address the current problems of the open-plan school to increase the functionality and usability of the school for students, teachers and the community.