Finberg School Veterans Housing
Developer: Norfolk Design & ConstructionOur proposal for the Finberg School site in Attleboro situates 54 units in a renovated school and new addition, all designated as veterans housing. The renovation leverages the school’s existing fenestration to create 33 light-filled studio and one-bedroom apartments. Along Webber Street, a complementary brick-clad addition will be seamlessly integrated into the southwest corner of the original school building. Connected by a common lobby, this addition will feature double-height one-bedroom units on the upper floor and studios below. Both the new construction and adaptive reuse units will share generous amenity spaces, a shared laundry room, and common resources located throughout the basement, first, and second floors of the adapted school building. The addition's design complements the original school with its brick facade and large-scale windows, while its distinctive sawtooth roofline lends a unique and playful character easily identifiable within the neighborhood. This roof shape also enhances natural light in the upper units and interior corridor.
The site design is anchored by a new park at the corner of Knight Avenue and Webber Street. In addition to serving as a welcoming public amenity, the park will provide a buffer between the lower-scaled houses on Knight Avenue and the larger volumes of the new housing development. The park's design will prioritize green space and plantings, featuring rambling paths and a small gathering plaza near the center. Street trees and general public realm improvements will be incorporated more broadly along the perimeter of the site.