Education

Five HMFH-Designed Schools Opening for the Year

The town square at Dover High School, Dover, N.H.

Cambridge, MA – Students and families in five New England communities will celebrate the opening this fall of new schools designed by Cambridge-based HMFH Architects.

Elementary and middle schools in Brookline, Chelsea, Westborough, and Carver, Mass., and a new high school in Dover, N.H., will provide nearly a million square feet of combined learning space.

Net-zero-ready in Brookline

In the Coolidge Corner neighborhood of Brookline, a combined renovation and new construction design responds to fast-rising student enrollment in the Brookline Public Schools. HMFH designed a full-scale renovation of the school’s historic 1913 building, along with two new wings. The new 227,000sf, preK-8 Coolidge Corner School debuts as one of the most energy-efficient schools in the commonwealth. Integrating a series of sustainable and healthy building initiatives, the innovative school design is net-zero-energy ready with a projected energy use intensity (EUI) of 23.3 kBtu/sf/year. The average EUI metric for K-12 schools in the U.S. is 82.

Hands-on exploration for Dover students

The city of Dover, N.H., will bring together the formerly separate Career Technical Center and traditional high school under one roof, benefiting students from both schools. The new 302,000sf Dover High School opens a new era of integrated hands-on and academic-oriented learning for the city’s 1,500 students. In the Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics (STEAM) wing, the design places art, science, and building technology spaces on display.

Performance design for Chelsea’s Clark Avenue School

The city of Chelsea elected to replace the existing Clark Avenue School with a new facility better suited for providing a 21st-century education for its 670 students in grades 5 through 8. Situated on only 1.4 acres, the new Clark Avenue Middle School was constructed in two phases while the existing school remained in operation. The school’s emphasis on performing arts is supported with a range of spaces to support large productions, more intimate performances, and set design and construction. The new school also features outdoor educational spaces and an entry courtyard designed for open-air performances and community events.

Carver Elementary design creates a small-school experience

This new 112,000sf school houses 850 students in grades preK-5, and replaces two smaller, aging buildings. To maintain the small-school feel and support the community’s educational philosophy, grades are clustered together by age group in academic wings in the E-shaped building. A vibrant central circulation spine containing a learning commons and other shared resources links the grade clusters. Designed to support a variety of teaching and learning styles, the shared common spaces include small-group rooms used for specific skills development and remedial learning.

Supporting early childhood education in Westborough

HMFH worked with the town of Westborough to create a new Early Childhood Center at the Hastings Elementary School and replace modular structures with permanent classrooms at Armstrong Elementary School. The Early Education Center adds space for 160 pre-Kindergarteners in a setting customized to support young students of varying needs, preparing them for academic, social, and emotional success in elementary school. The vibrant, daylit building provides a play-based learning environment for individual, small group, and full-class instruction.