This fashion school in Lowell, Massachusetts, reclaims a former industrial site at a key urban intersection and reconnects it to the city’s riverwalk. In contrast to the rigid, mass-production context, the building lifts off the ground to create a public plane below and large, column-free studio spaces above using long-span Vierendeel frames tied to structural cores and suspension elements.

Program is organized as objects within an open structural field to encourage visibility, collaboration, and experimentation. The enclosure alternates between perforated metal screens and transparent glass, while reclaimed brick forms an illuminated, vandalizable runway at ground level. The project reframes Lowell’s industrial legacy as a platform for creative production and public engagement.