Working in joint venture with +VG, AXIA created a design that respects the character of the existing building and surrounding neighhourhood — thereby seeking to reintegrate the revitalized building into its context. What were formerly classrooms have been subdivided and transformed into twenty-six units of primarily studio apartments. The design of each unit prioritizes compactness and efficiency, while creating a sense of spaciousness by drawing in ample natural lighting from large, new windows. The exterior keeps intact the red bricks of the original school, while its infill metal panels are to be replaced with cement fibre boards and wood pattern ACM panels to yield a high-performance envelope. The new architecture aims to break down the monolithic, institutional presence of the original building by reconfiguring it as a series of smaller, elegant, elongated structures that operate at an approachable, human scale and are homelike in their presence. This effect is accentuated by a vernacular material palette, which features extensive use of wood tones for warmth — notably, in the new wood frame trellis that distinguishes the front entrance.