After a very competitive selection process, Ai3 was selected to design the new 405-pupil, 40,008 sq. ft. high-profile Blackstone Valley Prep Charter Elementary School 2 in Cumberland, Rhode Island. The progressive integrated public charter school needed a new facility to foster its high-level / high-results teaching philosophy.

The compact urban site (2.5 acres) required the design to creatively maximize the building square footage, while simultaneously providing the required site amenities and outdoor classroom features.

The design incorporates the latest educational instructional technology within the classrooms to promote and support project-based / research-based instruction practices. The building’s interior includes the incorporation of warm, inviting, calming colors with an abundance of natural daylighting and controlled use of artificial lighting to promote focus, creativity, and learning.

The project incorporates many sustainable design features and was designed to be NE-CHPS (Northeast Collaborative for High Performance Schools) certified. The creative and efficient design solutions resulted in an extremely low cost per square foot and a total project cost below $10.0 million.