The existing St. Joseph’s campus consists of the Church, Pastor’s residence, Healy Hall, a school complex and playing fields. Phase II of the Parish’s master facilities plan will locate a new classroom building at the east edge of the existing campus. Because of its location, we anticipate that this building must fit into the existing campus structure like the last piece in a puzzle—it will be important to continue the courtyard organization of the site, match as closely as possible existing materials, and enhance the ways the current campus functions.

At the same time, we anticipate that the building will need to serve many functions, perhaps at different times of the day. For example, if the playing fields are used for soccer practice after school hours, there may be a need for accessible rest rooms depending on the age of the children. Similarly, a portion of the building might be used for classes during the day and social events at night. There are many issues raised by the functions of the building: security, flexibility, resistance to vandalism, servant vs. served spaces, and relationship to outdoor spaces.

Looking at the proposed location and size of the new classroom building, two opportunities arose: the new building could form a “gateway” to the playing fields, and could create useful outdoor courtyards to replace existing residual spaces. These “found spaces” added to the value of the project without adding to the cost significantly.