Carver Elementary School front exterior / HMFH
Carver, MA – Designed to support a variety of teaching and learning styles, the new Carver Elementary School welcomed 850 students this fall to new classrooms and community spaces.
Designed by HMFH Architects, the 112,000sf pre-K through grade five school replaces two smaller, aging school buildings on the same site. PMA Consultants is the owner’s project manager, and Halvorson Design is the landscape architect for the 22-acre site.
To maintain a small-school feel and support the community’s educational philosophy, pre-K through second-grade students are housed on the first floor in three academic wings, and grades three through five are housed on the second floor. A central circulation spine containing a learning commons provides a community thoroughfare that links each academic wing.
Small-group learning spaces are in close proximity to classrooms to offer specific skills development and remedial learning sessions without removing students from their everyday environment and classmate connections.
A distinctive feature of the new school is the convergence of indoor and outdoor learning. Two outdoor classrooms, four play areas, and athletic fields for soccer and softball are scaled to match the interests of pre-K through fifth-grade students with features and equipment accessible to children of all abilities.
Sustainable design for the large school building was a priority for the school district. Targeted to meet NE-CHPS standards for energy efficiency, the high-performance design includes flooring made from natural materials, an air quality system that utilizes tempered air as an alternative to air conditioning, triple-glazed windows, and an extensive stormwater infiltration design.
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“Our objective was to not only develop an effective program and layout for this school but also to make sure it was a successful and fun place for kids to learn,” said Matt LaRue AIA, a senior associate with HMFH who led the design team in Carver. “A big part of that is responding to the needs of some very young students and providing experiences that heighten their enthusiasm for learning and belonging. Carver Elementary School has a joyful blend of classrooms, community gathering spaces, story nooks, playspaces, and outdoor environments that contribute to the well-being of every student.”
