El Centro Big Picture High School
Shift Capital, Big Picture Philadelphia (BPP)
Fostering Student Autonomy, Real World Learning, and Community Partnerships Through Adaptive Reuse
El Centro Big Picture High School
Shift Capital, Big Picture Philadelphia (BPP)
Philadelphia, PA
22,000 SF
the opportunity
El Centro Big Picture High School offers a transformative learning environment, helping high school students identify and develop their interests and connect with their passions. Currently, Big Picture operates in two locations, Vaux BHPHS and El Centro de Estudiantes. To better serve its students, El Centro High School relocated, expanding its space and programming to serve up to 200 students. Working together with Big Picture, Shift Capital purchased 3360 Frankford Avenue, an unoccupied 22,000-square-foot historical industrial building, for the high school.
Our Approach
Through conversations with Big Picture, KSS recognized the importance of building upon the school’s culture of trust through the design of the physical environment. Spaces were designed to provide high levels of student autonomy around the educational experience. Painted exposed brick walls, exposed timber beams, and exposed building systems nod to El Centro’s homecoming to the Kensington neighborhood, where Big Picture began in Philadelphia. By preserving the existing building shell and structure, designing energy efficient systems, and carefully considering daylight, the project represents a sustainable investment in El Centro and the surrounding community.
Program
Classrooms, staff offices, breakout spaces, culinary training kitchen, workforce development suite
