ROCKLAND, Mass.— Gale Associates, Inc., a consulting engineering firm specializing in building enclosure design and engineering, has completed a comprehensive renovation of the Josiah Quincy Elementary School, a landmark public school occupying a full city block in Boston’s Chinatown.
Selected by the Boston Public Facilities Department as lead design consultant, Gale was tasked with evaluating the school’s aging building enclosure and developing a detailed renovation plan and construction budget. The resulting multi-phase project modernized critical enclosure systems, extended the service life of the building, and revitalized indoor and outdoor spaces for students and the surrounding community.
Gale’s Building Enclosure Consulting Group led the design and management of the renovation, working closely with the firm’s in-house structural and civil engineers. Based on a detailed enclosure evaluation, Phase 1 of the multi-year effort focused on replacing roofs and plaza systems, installing new windows and doors, repairing façade elements, and applying new pedestrian coatings.
The Josiah Quincy Elementary School was designed in 1974 by The Architects Collaborative and is recognized for its bold modernist character. The poured concrete structure features split-face concrete masonry veneer, precast and cast-in-place concrete elements, bright yellow pipe rails, and decorative porcelain enamel panels displaying children’s artwork along the upper façade. Orange-painted windows and doors further define the building’s distinctive appearance. Inside, the school’s open-plan layout centers on a media hub and is surrounded by multiple outdoor plaza roofs arranged on terraced levels that serve both the school and the broader Chinatown community.
Construction for Phase 1 began in 2021 with removal of the existing roof. Gale designed a new roof system incorporating a multi-ply membrane and a pedestal-supported surface of concrete, rubber, and turf pavers. In 2022, the firm designed the replacement of existing windows and doors and completed façade repairs, while also developing new plaza color schemes to enhance outdoor learning and play spaces. Additional work included waterproofing numerous cast-in-place concrete planters located throughout the roof plaza system.
Construction was completed in summer 2025, ahead of the start of the school year. Today, students and community members are enjoying a renewed, more resilient facility that supports learning, recreation, and neighborhood engagement.
Gale has a long-standing relationship with Josiah Quincy Elementary School, having previously completed a roof replacement at the facility in 1995.
