Waterfront STEM Education
A charter school campus transforms an industrial riverfront site into a dynamic learning environment rooted in innovation and place.
MaST II Community Charter School
Philadelphia, PA
MaST II Community Charter School in Philadelphia is known for integrating art, robotics, and design into a STEM-focused curriculum that serves more than 4,500 students. As enrollment expanded, the school sought to grow its footprint while creating a space that reflected its forward-thinking approach to education and its connection to the surrounding community.
To meet this challenge, MaST acquired a 19-acre former industrial site along the Delaware River with sweeping views of the Tacony-Palmyra Bridge. The school aimed to transform the underused property into a vibrant academic campus that could support both indoor and outdoor learning opportunities.
The first phase of the MaST II Tacony campus includes a new facility designed to accommodate 600 students across 30 classrooms. The layout supports the school’s specialized STEM programming and features flexible spaces for robotics, design, and other hands-on learning experiences. Outdoor learning areas extend the classroom to the waterfront, engaging students with their environment year-round.
Architecturally, the building draws inspiration from the site’s maritime past. Corrugated gray metal and yellow composite panels mimic stacked cargo containers, grounding the school’s identity in the site’s industrial legacy while signaling innovation.
Opened at full capacity, MaST II Tacony provides a bold new model for how charter schools can grow with intention—connecting students to STEM learning, community history, and the natural world.
“With thousands of applications, we felt it necessary to design a campus for growth and development in an education market looking for new and exciting practices.”
– John F. Swoyer III, MaST Community Charter School CEO
