A COMPLEX ADAPTIVE RE-USE OF A VINTAGE HIGH SCHOOL

An isosceles triangle in plan, the monumental Schenley High School opened in 1916 and was the first high school in the United States to cost more than $1,000,000 to build.

The school functioned for nearly a century. Strada collaborated with PMC Property Group to re-envision the school’s rooms into apartments and amenity spaces, while tackling the myriad logistical issues of this adaptive reuse project. Among the many details preserved, the classrooms-turned-living quarters kept their chalkboards and original wood floors, and the auditorium, with its bright blue chairs, remains almost as it was when Schenley High closed its doors. The building provides about 175 units aimed at graduate students attending nearby universities.