St. Patrick School, part of the urban fabric of downtown Portsmouth since 1868, faced declining enrollment and the possibility of a condemned building. The school community responded by creating the Hope for Tomorrow Foundation, developing an alumni network, undertaking a significant fundraising campaign, and launching a new, 200-student, Pre-Kindergarten to Grade 8, private school.
The goals for the new facility were: a location on a site of sufficient size to provide outdoor play and learning experiences, classrooms that harnessed 21st century technology and optimized learning, and core spaces that supported the school's mission of educational excellence, anchored in the Catholic faith.

The new, 24,000 square foot school designed by Oak Point Associates was set on the highest elevation of the site with a wooded edge along the south face, helping to provide shade to building spaces during warm months. Perimeter classrooms and clerestories along the corridors allow diffused light to enter. A playground, school garden, and granite amphitheater are nestled between the building and woods. The program included three distinct areas: lower school, core functions, and upper school. When approaching the school one sees three separate volumes joined by contrasting glass connector elements.