Nestled in a wooded site in New Bedford, Mass., the new Alma del Mar Frederick Douglass Campus for K-8 students is comprised of three large metal buildings.

With a MBTA (Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority) commuter rail to the West and a 30-foot slope from end-to-end, the architect Arrowstreet was challenged to accommodate these unique conditions while designing an effective programmatic layout for the 52,000 square-foot school that also accentuates the natural site.

While the first and third buildings primarily present a grey ribbed design, the façade of the middle building is painted in two shades of blue with sections of wood cladding.