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NORTHFIELD COMMUNITY SCHOOL Owner Northfield Board of Education Project Location Northfield, NJ Project Square Footage 145,797 sf Date 1998 Project Features K-8 School Community Center The Northfield Community School was a new con- struction of a PreK-8 centralized community school complex that consolidated assets of the four an- tiquated facilities scattered throughout the town. This reconfiguration now accommodates commu- nity programs and activities in addition to academic use. The New Community Complex provides a di- verse range of programs with a significant empha- sis placed on art education. The school is a true community school, open seven days a week for a variety of community activities. The project melds community programs with the school while making certain that community access would not impact the academic wings. With a clear differentiation of uses, the public maintains a rela- tionship to the academic wing while never having to enter the school portion of the building. The large population and disparate programs ac- commodated within the school necessitated care- ful attention to the perceived scale and circulation of its various users. Considered as a number of schools within a school, interstitial and public spac- es gained importance and were utilized as means of joining scales. Framed views offer glimpses that allow one to refer- ence oneself within a greater context. Corridors and communal spaces are oriented to provide physical and visual connection to one's grade, school, and community, when deemed appropriate, while main- taining the safety and security of the children as a priority THE MUSIAL GROUP ARCHITECTURE