South-West Middle School, located in Quincy, Mass., is a $58 million, 96,000-sf facility meant to “usher in the next generation of learning.”
The building features collaborative learning spaces, a media center, gymnasium, music and art rooms, administrative offices, a cafe, and an auditorium. STEM circulation zones encourage project-based learning and an open floor plan and glass walls create a synergetic environment. The glass walls are equipped with an electrified film that turns it opaque with the flip of a switch, making it impossible to see who is inside a classroom, an added safety measure in the event of a lockdown.
“Building off the growing trend of innovative and modernized schools, the light-filled spaces and technology-rich classrooms allow this new building to facilitate a high-quality of student engagement for the next generation of learning,” said Robert Murray, BOND (the project’s general contractor) President.
See Also: COX Architecture and Zaha Hadid Architects will design the Western Sydney Airport
Because the new school is being built directly behind the old school, BOND used the opportunity to facilitate classroom learning sessions with South-West Middle School students to coincide with project milestones and STEM curriculum. A student-led Junior Building Committee met with BOND employees, went on hardhat tours of the site, wrote reports, and shared updates with their classmates and the school’s website throughout the construction process.
The school welcomed its first students for the 2019 school year.
Related Stories
University Buildings | Apr 18, 2022
SmithGroup to design new Univ. of Colorado Denver engineering, design, computing building
The University of Colorado Denver selected SmithGroup to design a new engineering, design, and computing building that will serve as anchor of new downtown innovation district.
Market Data | Apr 14, 2022
FMI 2022 construction spending forecast: 7% growth despite economic turmoil
Growth will be offset by inflation, supply chain snarls, a shortage of workers, project delays, and economic turmoil caused by international events such as the Russia-Ukraine war.
K-12 Schools | Apr 1, 2022
Charleston County’s award-winning career and technical education high school
BD+C Executive Editor Rob Cassidy talks with the team behind the award-winning Cooper River Center for Advanced Studies, a Career|Technical Education high school in Charleston County, S.C.
Projects | Apr 1, 2022
University complex encourages exchange between academics and residents
In the small Danish city of Horsens, C.F. Møller Architects has created a university complex that unites higher education with urban life—creating synergies among students, staff, businesses, and residents
Projects | Mar 31, 2022
Tech school designed to prepare students for high-wage, high-skill careers
In Wesley Chapel, Fla., a half-hour north of Tampa, Kirkland Ranch Academy of Innovation (KRAI) is “not going to look like anything you’ve ever seen before,” Kim Moore, assistant superintendent at Pasco County Schools, said in a statement.
Energy-Efficient Design | Mar 25, 2022
University of Pittsburgh Releases ‘Pitt Climate Action Plan’
The University of Pittsburgh has released the Pitt Climate Action Plan, detailing how the University will achieve its goal to go carbon neutral by 2037 through investments in clean energy, transportation, efficiency and other areas.
Higher Education | Mar 24, 2022
Higher education sector sees 19 percent reduction in facilities investments
Colleges and universities face a growing backlog of capital needs and funding shortfalls, according to Gordian’s 2022 State of Facilities in Higher Education report.
Projects | Mar 16, 2022
Tomorrow’s STEM leaders get a state-of-the-art research complex
In February, North Carolina Agriculture and Technical State University (NC A&T) opened its new Engineering Research & Innovation Complex (ERIC).
University Buildings | Mar 7, 2022
A new facility can offer thousands of equine therapy sessions a year
At its new Spur campus in Denver, Colorado State University (CSU) will bring its expertise to the public by offering free educational experiences to visitors of all ages. Spur’s three buildings—Hydro, Terra, and Vida—will focus, respectively, on water, earth, and life.
Higher Education | Mar 1, 2022
SRG Partnership designs a nautically inspired space for maritime science
A community college in Oregon has begun construction on a new building devoted to maritime science. With it, the school hopes to solidify its position as a major industrial and marine technology center in the Pacific Northwest.
