School is in Session at the new DREAM Highbridge Campus

DBI managed the project on behalf of DREAM from design, construction, and all the way through opening. It also conducted the site search for the new campus and helped secure the 87,000-sf space that is now DREAM Highbridge. From start to finish, the team was able to complete the project in only 21 months.

The school will occupy the first two floors of a new 17-story development. The rest of the building is comprised of 500 residential units. DBI worked with Aufgang, who designed the base building, along with the project’s construction manager, Joy Construction Corp, and architect, Michael Graves to turn DREAM’s vision for the first two floors of the building into a reality, in addition to the facility’s double-height cellar space which the school has converted into a gymnasium.

Some of the project’s unique features include a mural by Bronx-based muralist Tats Cru along the grand staircase, connecting the school’s first and second floors, as well as the new gymnasium – a true staple piece of the project. The gymnasium’s exposed crossbeams are branded with DREAM-inspired decals, designed by design studio WeShouldDoItAll, and invites members of the community to get a glimpse of the DREAM mission by peeking into the space through the street level windows that look over the gym.

This is the second project DBI has managed for DREAM, following the successful conversion of a former icehouse in Mott Haven into a new 200,000-sf, Pre-K–12 school serving over 1,300 students. Fast Company referred to DREAM Mott Haven as, “the most stunning school in America.” Our work with DREAM is just an example of the $3B in active education projects DBI currently has under management.