The Central Elementary is located on a restricted urban site in downtown Allentown. The original building contained a one story addition with a rooftop playground. Over the years the playground became obsolete due to consistent roof leaks.
The task of the architect was to add nine new classrooms, and renovate portions of the existing building to allow accessibility of the disabled. The preconceived solution was to add the addition to the back of the building which meant the loss of valuable playground space. However, Breslin Architects' creative solution was to build on top of the existing building, eliminating the leaky rooftop playground. Because the structure could not support the weight of a new building, a scheme was designed to add a new two story structural system around the perimeter of the existing building and then to support the roof of the addition with long span joists.
Patterned brick and sand blasted granite panels displaying the name of the school provide a new playful image appropriate for the small children who attend
