Project Overview
New York City's School Construction Authority required a four-story addition to the existing PS 32Q elementary school in the Flushing neighborhood of Queens — expanding student capacity while maintaining architectural continuity with the original building and surrounding residential context. Universal Concrete Products delivered a precast concrete solution clad in a custom MetroBrick blend of Schoolhouse, Brownstone, and Charcoal tones, creating a facade that honors the traditional masonry character of the neighborhood while introducing a distinctly contemporary sensibility.
Precast Solution
The signature feature of the addition is its dynamic, undulating brick pattern — wave-form coursing that ripples across all four elevations, transforming what could have been a straightforward infill addition into a memorable civic landmark. Brick-faced precast panels provided the ideal medium for achieving this effect with precision and repeatability at scale. Each of the 128 panels was fabricated with 4" XPS continuous insulation integral to the panel system, delivering a high-performance thermal envelope without sacrificing the richness of the exterior expression, ideal for K-12 solutions. |