Stantec completed the vibrant and dynamic learning space at Northeast Community Propel Academy in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Modern, vibrant, and student-centered, the Northeast Community Propel Academy provides an engaging new learning environment for the growing School District of Philadelphia. The 180,000 square feet K-8 facility serves 1,600 students in its urban location.

The new school consolidates clusters of classrooms and collaborative zones around shared media and tech commons within each grade level house. With a total of nine clusters, grades can be organized vertically or horizontally with the number of classrooms adjustable as needed. The overall layout efficiently combines collaborative areas for small learning groups adjacent to media and tech commons, promoting ease of collaboration and the ability to allow for directed break-out activities.

Philadelphia’s nearby Pennypack Park offers unique opportunities for students of the urban-based Propel Academy to connect with nature. The Northeast Community Propel Academy embraced principles guided by LEED for Schools and WELL Building Standards for Educational Facilities in many components of the school’s design.

With its vibrant design, the new Propel Academy offers a next-gen learning space where students form one community.

Design: Stantec
Design-Builder: Gilbane
Photography: Tom Holdsworth