In this school-within-a-school complex a 625-student elementary school and a 625-student middle school occupy distinct wings and share central core facilities, including administration, cafeteria, library, 450-seat auditorium. Several of these shared spaces are designed with smaller components intended to avoid overwhelming younger students. A small gross motor room next to the full-size gym serves smaller groups, a cozy story-telling area in the library can be reached from the corridor without passing through the main reading room, and elementary and middle school groups can be separated in the cafeteria with a series of rolling dividers.

Classrooms in each wing are placed along a gently curing corridor on the grassy, Mystic River side of the structure. The elementary wing, which will be one of four elementary schools in the city, is more compact than the middle school wing, reinforcing the intimate school-within-a-school feeling and includes music, computer, and science rooms specifically for the elementary school.

The middle school wing is based on team clusters of four classrooms and a central science room, with two clusters per floor-one grade per floor. Teacher planning and team offices, as well as specialized teaching spaces such as computers, technology, and language are located across the hall from team clusters.

An extensive playground, and ball fields (shared with a second middle school designed by HMFH as well) complete the 43-acre, riverfront site and serve the community when school is not in session.