Nestled in a wooded site in New Bedford, Mass., the new Alma del Mar Frederick Douglass Campus for K-8 students is comprised of three large metal buildings.
With a MBTA (Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority) commuter rail to the West and a 30-foot slope from end-to-end, the architect Arrowstreet was challenged to accommodate these unique conditions while designing an effective programmatic layout for the 52,000 square-foot school that also accentuates the natural site.
While the first and third buildings primarily present a grey ribbed design, the façade of the middle building is painted in two shades of blue with sections of wood cladding.
The high side eave for Buildings A and C is 41 ft. 9 in., accommodating full mezzanines with a floor height of 14 in. for classrooms. Building B is a clear span for the gymnasium with support steel to provide for basketball hoop and a high side eave height of 31 ft., 8 in.
The prefabricated buildings were manufactured by Metallic and installed by BARNES Building & Management Group. The roof system is a MBCI Double-Lok with an R-38 Purlin Glide. And the walls are MBCI Reverse Roll R-Panel with FW-120 fascia and soffit panels with an R-25 Energy Saver Wall Insulation System.
Commenting on the significance of the school’s namesake, President of the New Bedford Historical Society Lee Slake stated in an Alma del Mar press release, “Frederick Douglass fought for the opportunity to learn to read and write at a time when educating Black people was against the law. His struggle for freedom and social justice will be an inspiration to our youth who will lead the change the world needs to tackle injustice.”
In selecting metal buildings for the 4-acre site, the school district was able to maximize the value of their investment in building the campus and also benefitted from an expedited project delivery schedule.
To mitigate noise from passing trains, extensive sound control measures were integrated into the design.
Inside, the interiors incorporate environmental graphics to educate students about Frederick Douglass, a famous abolitionist, suffragist, author and diplomat who lived in the1800s.
The campus houses classrooms, a 4,500 sq. ft. gymnasium, cafeteria with service, offices and support spaces.
