Design creates state-of-the-art facility in Union City, NJ.

HOK New York and RSC Architects are the designers for a high school in Union City.

This new state-of-the-art high school facility will be situated on the site of the former Roosevelt Stadium in Union City, the most densely populated city in the United States.

Originally this site was considered by the famous R. Buckminster Fuller for an indoor athletic and recreational facility. Bucky Fuller's design philosophy of "doing more with less" was the cornerstone for the joint venture design team of HOK and RSC in collaboration with the Union City Board of Education, Union City Redevelopment Agency, the City of Union City, and the New Jersey Schools Development Authority to create a revolutionary solution to accommodate both the education and athletic requirements for Union City.

The brand new high school facility features an innovative athletic stadium on the roof of the facility.

The rooftop athletic facility includes a high school regulation-sized baseball field, soccer and football field, and a grandstand area. As the only high school for Union City, the new structure will contain 66 general classrooms, small-group instruction space, cutting-edge science labs, and home economic labs.

The athletic component of the high school is not only limited to the rooftop, but also the facility will contain a three-station gymnasium, weight rooms, and spacious locker rooms for both the indoor and outdoor athletic programs.

The New Media Center, a key focal point of the high school, is located off the courtyard, creating both indoor and outdoor study areas for the students and illustrating yet another creative touch of the Design Team. The Media Center will also serve the community in general by functioning as a library open to the public after school hours.

To further enhance the existing outstanding arts program in the high school, the Design Team created an extraordinary auditorium with seating for 980 spectators, a small black box performance space, dance studio, and music and choral studios for the students. The art program area also includes new space for fine arts, photography studios, a fashion classroom, and a television production studio.

The Design Team included a historic promenade near the school's entrance to emphasize the history of Roosevelt Stadium, a prominent fixture in Hudson County. Roosevelt Stadium's rich background included events in semipro baseball, soccer, track, boxing, and numerous special events, from tractor pulls, concerts and carnivals to an exhibition baseball game featuring Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig. The 366,550 s/f project is part of the SDA Demonstration Project program.

The Design-Build Approach for the high school/ rooftop athletic field will deliver a superior facility.