Aragon Construction teams with JRS Architect to create new 60,000 s/f green facility for Mandell School

Upper West Side's prestigious Mandell School is set to expand into a new state-of-the-art facility at 795 Columbus Ave. - a 15-story apartment building that is part of Columbus Square, a retail and residential community currently under development between 97th and 100th Sts. Aragon Construction, together with JRS Architect, P.C., has been tapped to lead the 50,000 s/f build-out. The school will comprise the building's entire second floor and half of both the first floor and cellar. "It is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to build a school from a clean shell," said Gabriella Rowe, Mandell's head of school. "We have the benefit of designing each classroom around the curriculum, as well as the flexibility to incorporate new technologies throughout the entire school." Currently with three locations on west 94th, 95th and 96th Sts., the Mandell School can accommodate a total of 300 children, from a two's program up to the 2nd grade. When the new facility is complete, total capacity will grow to 650 and Rowe will be able to achieve her vision of matriculating children to the 8th grade. Aragon will be constructing many exciting features such as a black box theatre - inspired by collaboration among the teachers, the head of the drama department and a theater consultant - so that students can stage their own drama productions. Also, a 20-foot-long digital screen that will display student artwork and constantly be updated is being installed on the first floor. "This will be a very conducive learning environment for children," said Alex Padilia of JRS Architect, P.C. "We are using playful colors and plenty of natural lighting to create a comfortable yet stimulating atmosphere for the students." Numerous sustainable materials are being utilized in construction and in the long term Mandell School hopes to be LEED certified. For instance, the school will have rubber flooring, which is comprised of tire rubber and other recycled waste materials. Also, all classrooms will have high-efficiency lighting, using digital photo sensors and dimmers that comply with the Daylight Harvesting requirement. "And students will be able to enjoy a living wall, a wall almost completely covered in vegetation, literally a vertical garden," said Rowe, in the sub-level cafeteria. As well as renovating the cellar, first and second floors, Aragon will be building out an 8,000 s/f outdoor terrace for the children. A modular design is being employed that will allow the school to create a green roof garden filled with annuals and perennials, a planting garden and a poetry reading space. Additionally, Aragon and JRS Architect, P.C. have been contracted to build a 10,000 s/f learning center for Mandell in another Columbus Square residential building nearby. The center will have an early childhood library and a media learning station where students will be able to stream videos and become familiar with online tools. Occupying the entire second floor and filled with stacks, carrels and silent study areas, it will serve children from the three's program up to the 8th grade. Aragon is scheduled to begin work on the school and learning center in March of 2010, when construction is complete on the two buildings. "We are providing a tremendous amount of due-diligence during the pre-construction phase to ensure all long lead items are properly secured. Schedule is a key component as we need to have the school punch list complete for the beginning of the school year - September of 2010," said founder and president of Aragon, Alex Getelman. Getelman continues, "We are delighted to work on such a unique facility, one where the mandate is to mold the architecture to the educational vision...this will be a place that inspires creativity and growth." Columbus Square is being developed by the Chetrit Group and comprises three contiguous city blocks. 795 Columbus is over 320,000 s/f.