Pentagram Creates School Spirit

Achievement First Endeavor Middle School, a charter school that serves 5th to 8th-grade students in the Clinton Hill neighborhood of Brooklyn, NY, wanted a bold program of environmental graphics to inspire its approximately 300 students to overcome adversity and remain positive. Following Rogers Marvel Architects’ drawings, designer Pentagram (NYC) developed the boldly colored, painted wall graphics with such inspirational slogans as “Many Minds One Mission” and “Whatever It Takes.”

Drew Freeman, a Pentagram designer involved with the project, said, “Some of the colors in the system derived from Achievement First’s existing graphic system, but we expanded that color palette to include more saturated highlights while maintaining an emphasis on the core colors.”

Because the school’s construction hadn’t been finished when Pentagram developed its scope of work, the firm built a series of models to perfect its concept. From that, the design team determined the glass-walled stairwell, visible to passersby outside, provided a unique opportunity to create energy on campus.

For the 7,000 sq. ft. of wall graphics, Pentagram specified Benjamin Moore’s satin-finish latex paint because of its durability and sheen. Denise J. Mayer, an architectural-graphics specialist, served as the project manager, and Nela Design painted the boldly colored graphics.