Architects: Cannon Design

The design for this newly enclosed courtyard provided the opportunity to develop a safe outdoor space that expanded the educational and performance spaces for the students at this unique academy in the City of Buffalo.

The courtyard is designed into five main spaces. The first space closest to the main school entrance is designed as a reception area for the many events held at the school. The garden spaces within the reception area are the only gardens in the courtyard with traditional plantings and are designed to be full of color in the spring and fall. There are areas within these gardens to display art work and sculpture as well as benches for gathering.

The next area of the courtyard is an elevated gallery space with contemporary metal display screens designed to showcase rotating exhibits of students art work. This area is accessible by grand stairs and an elevated switchback walk that leads to the raised gallery or to the next area of the courtyard, the sunken studio space.

The sunken studio space is intended for students to be able to gather, bring out their projects and work in an exterior space. Allowing the students a space to paint or draw under natural light, or to dance barefoot on soft grass. A “pyramid” of soft grass acts as a folly in the studio area.

The next area of the courtyard is the amphitheater seating area and is designed in conjunction with the final space of the courtyard, the stage/outdoor dining area, which is just outside of the cafeteria and can be used in multiple ways. The amphitheater seating area has large stairs that leads to a sunken lawn area. These stairs can be used as the main seating area to watch a performance taking place on the stage/outdoor dining area, or can be used for smaller performances or concerts where chairs are set up on the sunken lawn area. The stage/outdoor dining uses sculptural shade structures to house electrical equipment for speakers and lighting for performances.