Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

Innovative Boston School Officially Opens in North End

  • By Yvonne Marquez
  • 10/23/19

The Eliot Innovation School celebrated the construction of a new, waterfront upper campus with a ribbon cutting ceremony on Oct. 19, attended by Mayor Martin Walsh, Boston Public Schools (BPS) Superintendent Brenda Cassellius, city officials, BPS staff and the community. The $15 million building renovation was part of Mayor Walsh’s $2.08 billion Imagine Boston Capital Plan. It was the final phase of an overall $33 million project to two Eliot school buildings.

The $15 million building renovation was part of Mayor Walsh’s $2.08 billion Imagine Boston Capital Plan. It was the final phase of an overall $33 million project to two Eliot school buildings.

Finegold Alexander Architects served as the architect, Daniel O’Connell’s Sons were the contractor for the project and design and construction was managed by the City of Boston Public Facilities Department.

The 42,000-square-foot facility is the latest addition to Eliot’s three-campus school. One location serves grades K0-1, another serves grades 2-4 and the new school serves about 400 students in grades 5-8.

Transformed from an office building, the school includes 18 light-filled classrooms; collaborative learning spaces; media, arts and tech/robotics spaces on the first floor; and multi-purpose spaces for community meetings. A new exterior play space is accessible to the community.

Transformed from an office building, the school includes 18 light-filled classrooms; collaborative learning spaces; media, arts and tech/robotics spaces on the first floor; and multi-purpose spaces for community meetings.

The school features systems that promote sustainability and resiliency, which include:

  • A reflective roof;
  • High R-value building envelope;
  • A storm water retention system;
  • High performance glazing that maximizes natural light;
  • LED lighting with daylight and motion sensors;
  • Low-flow plumbing fixtures; and
  • High-efficiency boilers.

The waterfront location connects students to their natural and historical environment, with access to views to the Boston Harbor and the Freedom Trail just a short walk away.

About the Author

Yvonne Marquez is senior editor of Spaces4Learning. She can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • Hawaii Elementary School Breaks Ground on New Classroom Building

    Kealakehe Elementary School in Kailua, Hawaii, recently began construction on a new, $16-million classroom building for its campus, according to a news release. The 13,000-square-foot building will stand two stories and connect the existing upper and lower campuses.

  • Northeastern University Breaks Ground on New Housing Community

    Northeastern University recently announced the groundbreaking of a new student housing community on its campus in Boston, Mass., according to a news release. The university is partnering with American Campus Communities (ACC) for development of the project, which will have the capacity for 1,200 students and has a scheduled completion date of fall 2028.

  • University of Kentucky Receives $150M Gift Toward New Arts District

    The University of Kentucky’s Board of Trustees recently received a $150-million gift from The Bill Gatton Foundation, according to a university news release, to build a new arts district on the campus in Lexington, Ky. The new district will feature a new College of Fine Arts building and a multi-hundred-seat theater, among other amenities.

  • Preparing for the Next Era of Healthcare Education, Innovation

    Across the country, public universities and community colleges are accelerating investments in healthcare education facilities as part of a broader strategy to address workforce shortages, modernize outdated infrastructure, and expand clinical training capacity. These projects, which are often located at the center of campus health and science districts, are no longer limited to traditional classrooms.