Project Description
Metcalfe worked with Wissahickon Charter School (WCS) to design a new 48,000-square-foot school building, on a brownfield adjacent to the Awbury Arboretum in Germantown. WCS’s mission focuses on the environment, service learning, and family involvement. Its new home is a light-filled, sustainably constructed building featuring a green roof, public meeting spaces, composting, a student-run bio-diesel program, rainwater permeable parking and sidewalks, and a programmatic connection to the Awbury’s gardens and farmland for outdoor education. The school’s entry and hallways are punctuated by social spaces that facilitate informal learning and social interaction.