NEW AMSTERDAM SCHOOL

The New Amsterdam School expanded into a new space in New York’s Lower East Side. VIRALINE began the process with a thorough investigation of the Waldorf-based program’s goals and requirements. Initially intended as two separate retail spaces, the existing layout was altered to create four classrooms centered around an inviting open space. Aside from hosting group activities, the breakout space allows for future growth through the creation of a fifth classroom. The school’s early childhood classrooms required coordination with the NYC DOHMH to secure necessary approvals. As a tenant on the ground floor of a multifamily residential building, the school faced unique challenges to separate the students from the residential tenants above. VIRALINE located separate entrance through the existing courtyard and designed a new wood trellis to both shield the students from the elements and create a clear identity within the neighborhood.