Hildreth Elementary School Construction Begins

Boston-based architecture and design firm, Arrowstreet recently joined the Town of Harvard, the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA), and State Senator Jamie Eldridge, as well as school board and school building committee members, teachers, students and families to celebrate the groundbreaking of Hildreth Elementary School in Harvard, Mass.

Arrowstreet Hildreth Learning Stair

When completed in 2021, the new 85,200-square-foot, PK-5 school will be home to a 21st-century learning environment that meets the educational vision of this high-performing school district while also respecting the character and values of the town. The new school will include:

  • 25 core classrooms for Grades PK-5 with flexible learning spaces that accommodate large group, small group, and individual learning needs
  • An Innovation Lab to facilitate Science Technology Engineering and Math (STEM) learning
  • Cafeteria, media center, and gymnasium designed to create a strong sense of community
  • District offices for the superintendent and other administrative support staff,
  • And site improvements that include playgrounds and playing fields, improved bus and vehicle circulation and parking, and storm water mitigation measures.

The new building design represents a two-year process of working with administrators, faculty and staff, and community members to define the educational program and design the building to suit the district’s high-performing approach to learning. 

“From the onset of this project, it has been clear to us what a wonderful community Harvard is, and the town’s impressive commitment to education and creating a sense of place,” said Larry Spang, principal at Arrowstreet, who leads the firm’s schools practice. “Inspired by Harvard, we designed the new school with three core goals: create educational spaces to support the today’s learning styles in support of the community’s commitment to education; design the building to enhance the existing context of historic Harvard; and create a sense of community. We look forward to two years from now when students and teachers open the doors to the school that they envisioned.”

“Today is big day for the town of Harvard. A lot of hard work and dedication to providing high quality education went into making our vision for this school a reality. We owe thanks to the generosity of the many volunteers and the taxpayers who made this project possible. The new school will add value to our community and help prepare the next generation in a beautiful, engaging and sustainable building,” said the School Building Committee Chair Susan Mary Redinger.

Featured

  • Missouri State University Debuts Construction Education Center

    Missouri State University in Springfield, Mo., recently opened a new 10,000-square-foot addition and renovation to support the School of Construction, Design, and Project Management, according to university news. The Construction Education Success Center, built onto the existing Kemper Hall, provides academic space for the school’s construction managers and cost $9.6 million.

  • Embry-Riddle Breaks Ground on New Office Building

    Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (ERAU) in Daytona Beach, Fla., recently announced that construction has begun on a new office building for its campus Research Park, according to a news release. The university partnered with Hoar Construction on the 34,740-square-foot Center for Aerospace Technology II (CAT II), which will be used for research and lab purposes.

  • Texas A&M Breaks Ground on Campus Visitor Center

    Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas, recently held a groundbreaking ceremony for a new campus learning hub and visitor center, according to a news release. The 211,000-square-foot Aplin Center will stand three stories and is scheduled to open to students in 2028.

  • DLR Group Appoints New K–12 Education Practice Leader

    Integrated design firm DLR Group recently announced that it has named its new global K–12 Education leader, Senior Principal Carmen Wyckoff, AIA, LEED AP, according to a news release. Her teams have members in all 36 of the firm’s offices in the U.S., Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Europe, and Asia.