Angier Elementary School

The Angier Elementary School was the oldest school building in Newton still in service as a neighborhood elementary school. A new school was designed as a replacement on the challenging 1.97 acre existing site, predicated on the ability to raise the grade level of a wedge of land to the rear of the property, that sloped down steeply to the MBTA tracks.

The school now features a plaza facing Beacon Street that can serve as both an early morning outdoor gathering space and an outdoor classroom. This plaza provides both an attractively landscaped interface with and a separation from the public street. Dropoff zones and pedestrian access are well resolved, with separate areas for buses and cars. The administration area is perfectly located at the point of entry, facing the plaza, and central to school activities. The program areas facing the public street and private abutters afford the opportunity for appropriately scaled fenestration and massing. The overall layout is compact and efficient, yet gracious, with beneficial views and solar orientation. The new cafeteria employs an ideal relationship to play areas, the stage, and music rooms. Kindergarten classrooms are on the second floor with the 1st and 2nd grades.

The new school is both aesthetically pleasing and conveys all the best attributes for education and a civic-minded facility.