Brookline, Massachusetts
New Construction
Architect
HMFH Architects, Inc.Cambridge, Massachusetts
The Coolidge Corner School, the public school that President John F. Kennedy attended and Brookline’s largest elementary school, required significant additions and renovations due to severe overcrowding.
To provide the needed upgrades and still maintain the school’s historical significance and character, the patinated copper cupola from the original 1913 building served as a central design component and baseline. On the exterior of the new academic wings, 5,775 square feet of pre-patinated copper cladding was added to further reinforce the connection between old and new, historic and contemporary.
Copper’s timeless quality allows views from any angle of the school to be both modern and classic. The aging process of copper creates opportunities for educators to incorporate their school building into the curriculum; students can engage directly with their learning environment in discussions of both natural process and historical context.
