Worcester, Mass., is the birthplace of vocational education, beginning with the pioneering efforts of Milton P. Higgins, who opened the Worcester Trade School in 1908. The school's original facility served this central Massachusetts community for nearly 100 years until its state-of-the-art replacement opened in 2006 as the 1,500-student Worcester Technical High School.
Getting the new 400,000-sf school opened, however, once again required pioneering efforts that earned this project and its Building Team a Special Recognition Award for overcoming significant challenges, including an environmentally sensitive site, tight funding, and labor union issues.
The school's 21-acre site in the city's Green Hill Park included wetlands with vernal pools, a 16-acre landfill, and a two-year legal dispute with neighbors over environmental and parkland issues. A formal partnering charter ultimately allayed neighborhood and environmental concerns. The school was repositioned on the site, and improvements were made to the wetlands and vernal pools, which now serve as leaning labs for the school's Environmental Technology program. The landfill was capped and converted for use as the school's athletic fields.
Funding was one of the project's biggest obstacles. To offset the school's approximately $90 million total cost (construction costs: $68 million; equipment: $22 million), the school's advisory board created “entrustment” programs, which involved partnerships with businesses, manufacturers, and major suppliers—notably Dell Computers, Cisco Systems, Toyota, and Redken 5th Avenue—to provide equipment and industry expertise in return for the school's exclusive use of their products.
Labor union issues were resolved through a deal brokered by the city's mayor and Consigli Construction (general contractor in a joint venture with O'Connor Constructors) that allowed non-union trades to bid the project. Originally, only union trades were allowed to bid, but that prevented the school's alumni who weren't union members or employees of union signatory firms from submitting bids. Trades winning their bids served as mentors to the school's current students, who gained valuable hands-on experience by helping complete their new school two months early and on budget.
|
Related Stories
K-12 Schools | Apr 7, 2017
Is an alternative project delivery method right for your K-12 school district?
With California’s increasingly busy—and costly—construction market, it’s becoming more difficult to predict costs with a typical design-bid-build delivery method.
K-12 Schools | Mar 9, 2017
The future of education facilities: Creating spaces where learning happens everywhere
The art of designing schools lies not in just understanding what makes a functional classroom, but in how successful we are in creating a wide array of educational options for teachers and students within the school environment.
K-12 Schools | Mar 9, 2017
School branding: The impact on identity and engagement
What is school branding and why is it important? HMC Architects’ James Krueger and Barbara Perez weigh in on the topic.
K-12 Schools | Feb 22, 2017
Through the principal's eyes: A look at K-12 architecture
Anderson-Livsey is a K-5 school located about 30 minutes East of Atlanta in Gwinnett County and has an enrollment of 785 students.
K-12 Schools | Feb 8, 2017
'Fabrication Hall' introduces Wyoming high school students to career paths
The hall offers bountiful natural light with enough space to build large-scale projects.
Architects | Jan 19, 2017
Harley Ellis Devereaux merges with Deems Lewis McKinley
The combination is expected to bolster HED’s presence in northern California and the K-12 sector.
K-12 Schools | Dec 14, 2016
Expanding possibilities for America's K-12 schools
Bigger buildings, more outdoor space, and greater involvement from the private sector are among the trends marking the new generation of schools.
K-12 Schools | Dec 12, 2016
Building a nation of super schools
AEC teams are being asked to design and build schools with enough flexibility to adapt to changing pedagogies.
School Construction | Oct 23, 2016
As construction rebounds, education sector spending flattens
Post-recession slump suggests a settling in at a “normal” level similar to the mid aughts.
Great Solutions | Aug 23, 2016
Novel construction approach speeds K-12 school projects
The Folia system uses pre-engineered components to deliver school buildings at 20% less cost.
