Joel Braverman High School

To improve the academic and social environment of the Joel Braverman High School, the Yeshivah of Flatbush embarked on a multi-year, multi-phase master plan 50 years after the inauguration of their original building. This ambitious plan includes a complete physical renovation of the existing buildings and the addition of much-needed new space—all constructed while the school is operational on site. This phased renovation and expansion not only upgrades the existing spaces but also introduces new curriculum elements including: flexibly, right sized classrooms; new public assembly areas; small group instruction spaces; and expanded arts, music, and athletic spaces.

The first phase included the renovation of the lobby and 5,700 sf auditorium. The second phase transformed a former pool into a new auxiliary gym. This below-grade, double-height, multi-purpose facility is also used as an assembly space.

The third phase connected the existing building to a new three-story addition through a sky-lit passageway, or student commons, now the heart of the new campus. The commons serves as the central information hub and provides informal space for studying and gathering. The new addition also offers an expanded library, a new Beit Midrash, and a new café and courtyard.

The Heart of The Campus

The physical and psychological heart of the expanded campus, the addition serves as an information hub for the entire school. A new 2,350 sf skylit passage bridges the new with the old, doubling as a student commons and providing students space for studying and socializing between classes.

Situ Fabrication Yeshiva Of Flatbush Dattner Architects Drawings New York Custom Design Wood School 003

Situ Fabrication Yeshiva Of Flatbush Dattner Architects Process New York Custom Design Wood School 004

Beit Midrash

An important place for study and prayer, the double-height Beit Midrash is inspired by biblical imagery and Jewish tradition. The space is separated into upper and lower halves, symbolizing the belief that the study of Torah links heaven and earth. At ground level, students studying in pairs are surrounded by Talmudic and other religious texts. A generous zone of glazing and daylight separates the upper half of the space, where a majestic wooden lattice floats over the room, hinting at a greater dimension beyond. Its shape derives from the draped forms of the Huppah and the biblical Tabernacle, cloth structures that separate inside from outside, and sacred from ordinary space.

The exterior envelope of the existing building will be replaced in the fourth phase, providing a physical upgrade and a revitalized identity. Following the restoration of the façade, phase five will address renovations of each floor of the existing building that houses classrooms, faculty offices, and the school’s main gymnasium.

Location

Brooklyn, NY

Area

Total: 125,000 sf
Existing: 95,000 sf
Addition: 30,000 sf

Completion

Master Plan: 2013
Phase 1: 2013
Phase 2: 2015
Phase 3: 2018
Phase 4: 2022

Clients

Yeshivah of Flatbush

View Project Facts

Location

Brooklyn, NY

Area