MDS Architecture Transforms Howell Elementary School Library

DAVID WINZELBERG // LONG ISLAND BUSINESS NEWS

School officials and staff held a recent ribbon-cutting ceremony to officially open a new library at the Howell Road Elementary school in Valley Stream. 

The project, which began in June 2025, was designed by Hicksville-based MDS Architecture. The school’s newly revamped 1,823-square-foot library includes areas for learning, reading and innovation, accommodating up to 26 students with mobile desks that can be reconfigured to support both small group work and full-class instruction, according to a company statement. 

The reading area has ample floor space and stool seating, while the innovation space has house-shaped structure and a writable-surface table. Flexible ottomans can be used as stools and rockers, and vibrant colors, tactile finishes, and varied textures were implemented to energize the environment and spark student imagination, according to MDS. 

“We’re very proud of this project. We’ve transformed it into a place that is welcoming for the kids to feel comfortable socializing, learning and really just loving to learn,” Michael Mark, president of MDS Architecture, said in the statement. “It’s bright, it’s inviting, it’s colorful, the colors are very soothing. It’s a place where they can socialize and interact with each other. For the teachers, we made educational spaces in the library that are flexible where they can migrate in one classroom at a time to take a field trip within their own building without ever leaving.” 

The opening celebration included a student council greeting and performances by the school’s color guard and drumline. 

“The library is a special place for any elementary school. It’s a hub of the school. It’s where literacy and learning take place, where all students are able to join together to celebrate a love of reading and to develop friendships,” Judith LaRocca, superintendent of Valley Stream School District 13, said in the statement. “We know that students who develop a love of learning and specifically a love of reading have great outcomes later on in life. This new library can really set students on a pathway to increased and improved outcomes for the future.” 

The Valley Stream project team also included Long Island City-based SDA Lighting & Controls and W.B. Mason served as the furniture vendor. 

READ THE ARTICLE HERE: Long Island Business News