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DreamYard Bronx ALL-Community
The Bronx , NY

DreamYard is the largest arts education provider in the Bronx and its programs reach 8,500 K-12th grade students annually during in-school and out-of-school programs. To accommodate the growing institution, the DreamYard Bronx Arts, Learning and Living (ALL) Community will offer affordable housing, a new public high school building, community space, exhibition space, after school programming, Universal Pre-K and employment opportunities in a new purpose built 120,000 square foot facility. Born of a partnership between DreamYard, BronxPro and the New Visions/New Century High School, DY Prep, this experienced group of partners will provide a development solution at a lower cost and faster than the current school construction process can accomplish.

The first floor of the building will provide a visual arts gallery, studio space, a theater and a computer lab for use by all community members. The proposed design includes additional public gathering spaces that generate revenue, such as a café or locally owned retail store. DY Prep will occupy the second through fourth floors of the building throughout the school year. DY Prep’s vision is to provide students with opportunities to present their work in professional arts venues as well as receiving vocational training through arts related internships. This vision will be realized through creative spatial design on every floor of the building. Whether in informal gathering/presentation alcoves or the theater and gallery space, every opportunity is made to create interactive design throughout the building. The Bronx ALL-Community confidently works to redefine educational spaces to support the Scholarship, Artistry and Character of DY Prep students.

Floors 5-14 will contain 85 units of affordable rental housing managed by BronxPro. Common areas will be decorated with furnishings and art work created in partnership with DYPrep, lending the residential portion of the building a warm and welcoming atmosphere. In addition, Bronx Pro will provide residential services to the households of the complex, assisting them with entitlement counseling and referrals to other community based social service providers. Most importantly, the Bronx ALL-Community model will include a novel approach to teacher and school leader retention. BronxPro will set aside affordable housing units in the building for public school teachers and artists, to ensure the neighborhood’s capacity to retain and nurture Bronx-born talent in service to the community.

CLIENT: The DreamYard Project / BronxPro
COMPLETION: 2012
SIZE: 115,000 square feet

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