The José Martí Freshman Academy and Public Library – a magnificent, state-of-the-art New Jersey School Development Authority educational facility – is the heart of the urban community that surrounds it.
RSC Architects’ design of this new school incorporated core facilities, such as science laboratories, a cafeteria, a gymnasium, and computer laboratories. Based upon the state’s model for middle schools, the three-level structure was designed to provide separate floors for sixth-grade, seventh-grade, and eighth-grade students.
A key design feature of this project involved the incorporation of a new 13,000 s.f. public library in order to meet the needs of both the student population and the community. The upper-level mezzanine houses the school’s media center, which is available to students only; however, the lower level serves as a public library, complete with its own entrance. The library is open during the day and the evening.
