The Montessori Community School of Rhode Island (MCSRI) came to us looking for a new school building to cater to their growing enrollment. The project ties an existing single story garage to a three story brick volume by inserting a new infill piece. To ensure that the expansion was conducted sensibly, we phased the development of the new school building. The ground floor was completed first and contains the toddler and 3-6 year old classrooms, as well as administrative and kitchen facilities for the whole building. The Montessori method emphasizes placing a variety of child-sized elements, including furniture, shelves and kitchen tools, in each classroom to allow children to learn through exploration. Circulation and levels are considered to allow for maximum accessibility for each age group.