Cranston, RI Finegold Alexander Architects celebrated the erection of the structural steel framing for the new Gladstone Elementary School during the beam-signing ceremony. Finegold Alexander’s principals Regan Shields Ives, along with team members Erin Flaherty and Connor Byrne, along with mayor Kenneth Hopkins, representatives from public school, superintendent Jeannine Nota-Masse, Gladstone principal Amy Vachon and assistant principal Amy Corso-Latos, school committee chair and citywide representative Michael Traficante, and vice chair and Ward 3 representative Domenic Fusco, signed the beam that will be placed above the principal’s office.
Finegold Alexander has worked closely with the City of Cranston and Cranston Public Schools to design the new school that will consolidate both Gladstone and Arlington Elementary Schools, educating roughly 798 students in grades K-5. The new 100,000 square-foot innovative school design will reinvent the learning environment. Rather than lining classrooms along a central corridor, the building will be arranged with six Learning Communities within 3+ stories. Learning Communities are each designed as single suites of interconnected rooms. Curiosity Centers with purpose-built music, art, library, and maker spaces serve to connect the Learning Communities on each floor. On the first floor, the social heart and cafetorium will serve as a space for the community view expansive views to the surrounding nature. Gathering platforms will be located within the building, offering opportunities for informal seating and social interactions for students, teachers, and parents.
Three outdoor learning areas, multiple playgrounds, playing fields, and a community garden will encourage outdoor activities. Finegold Alexander’s design creates a compact building footprint and promotes energy efficiency, leveraging the existing site topography, and optimizes the building’s solar orientation to maximize natural daylight and views.
“Finegold Alexander is thrilled and proud to be part of this momentous milestone for the Gladstone Elementary School project,” said Finegold Alexander principal Regan Shields Ives. “This project has been a testament of collaboration between the entire project team, School District, teachers and students. This innovative design creates opportunities for each child to learn in a unique environment that suits their learning needs, and we are honored to be a part of this transformational project.”
Finegold Alexander Architects has delivered remarkable learning environments and received numerous awards and citations for our work for over 55 years. From public and private K-12 learning spaces throughout the greater New England area, their work is focused on the needs of each individual school. Cranston Public Schools selected Finegold Alexander to lead this project as the firm’s expertise and understanding of the school’s needs will help Gladstone continue to serve and provide for the students of Cranston, RI. The project is projected to be completed in the summer of 2025.