Strong School Community Center

In the Fair Haven neighborhood of New Haven, we developed a concept study for the adaptive reuse of the historic Strong School. Our proposal re imagines the disused school building as a vibrant community hub incorporating a mix of uses: a community center, commercial spaces, live-work artist studios, and affordable housing.

At the heart of our vision is a careful reactivation of the building’s street-facing presence. Corner storefronts are designed to host small businesses and cafés, each complemented by adjacent plazas that support outdoor dining and public gathering. The community center anchors the front facade, set behind a re imagined open public piazza that welcomes residents and visitors alike through the building’s original main entrance.

Rising along Perkins Street and connected to the school’s north wing, a newly proposed four-story structure introduces affordable apartment units and shared amenity spaces. This addition is linked to the existing building on the upper levels, where artist live-work lofts and gallery spaces form a transition between the public uses on the ground floor and the private residences above.