Schenectady City School District – Oneida Middle School

Schenectady, NY

Mosaic collaborated with Urban School Facilities Planner, Shawn Hamlin to perform a $70M capital project for reconstruction and renovation to many of the district’s schools. The work addresses overcrowding in schools, forecasted enrollment shifts, equity issues, inconsistent feeder patterns and deteriorating conditions in the district’s oldest buildings. Mosaic was also involved in the development of the district’s Long Range Capital Facilities Plan and Capital Programming.

Oneida Middle School
Major renovations were made to the Oneida Middle School that reopened as as result of the enrollment increase. The renovation was a gut rehab of a 1920s school that had been unoccupied for several years. The most significant transformation was at the main entry, which had previously opened into a stairwell that was dark and difficult to supervise. The stair was demolished and the new entry, including a curved glass canopy, is now bright, warm and inviting to all who enter. The overall renovation was based on the idea of creating “small learning communities” each with their own classrooms, toilet rooms, commons area, and distributed administration offices. Design of these more intimate spaces serve to improve the student experience and create a feeling of security within a building that might otherwise seem overwhelming.