Urban Assembly School of Design and Construction, The

The Urban Assembly School of Design and Construction (UASDC) is a small high school that teaches students about design and architecture. It has an impressive roster of partnerships with architecture, engineering, design and construction firms as well as arts and social service organizations.

Students take a seminar where they learn architectural drafting and design. They also visit architectural sites throughout the city and participate in summer and after-school internships with private design and architectural firms.

UASDC shares the Park West complex building with the Facing History School, Manhattan Bridges High School, Food and Finance High School, High School of Hospitality Management and PS 138 (a small school for severely disabled students). All schools in the building share use of the gym, cafeteria, library, auditorium, dance studio, and roof deck. UASDC has its own design studio, computer lab and science labs.

Students from all schools in the Park West complex may participate in campus-wide sports teams.

Attendance is low and both teachers and students have expressed concerns about discipline, order and bullying based on their responses to the NYC School Survey. To address this, the school has adopted a restorative justice program, which aims to minimize suspensions and promote positive behavior among students through conversation, reflection and corrective action. Two staff members work fulltime with students to resolve issues and promote a better environment.

ADMISSIONS: Admission is based on the educational option formula, which is designed to admit a mix of low-, average- and high-achieving students. (Laura Zingmond, web reports, December 2018)