Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

Massachusetts Charter School Selects Architect for Renovation Project

  • By Matt Jones
  • 01/24/22

The Advanced Math and Science Academy Charter School (AMSA) in Marlborough, Mass., recently selected Boston-based Finegold Alexander Architects to provide the design for an upcoming series of renovation and addition projects. According to a press release, work to be done includes system upgrades, a new multipurpose building, interior fit-outs of a previous office building and redesigning the facility’s traffic patterns.

ASMA is a public charter school that opened in 2005 and serves students in grades 6–12. The academy owns and occupies a three-building campus in a former office park space; Finegold Alexander plans to repurpose the third and fourth floors of one of the office buildings to house additional facilities like science labs, classrooms and administrative space. It will also design a new, 14,000-square-foot multipurpose building.

“While the academic program at AMSA is thriving, our team was able to recognize the need to align the school’s various facilities to create a cohesive environment to support teaching and learning,” said Regan Shields Ives, Principal and K-12 studio leader at Finegold Alexander. “We are excited to embark on this significant partnership with AMSA to creatively address the design challenges that the school is currently facing. Our goal is to support its mission of integrity, excellence and community through innovative and welcoming design.”

Finegold Alexander has completed a number of K–12 projects in the New England area, including the Central Catholic Innovation and Wellness addition; Gibbs School in Arlington, Mass.; Eliot Innovation School in Boston, Mass.; and Methuen High School in Methuen, Mass.

“We are thrilled to partner with Finegold Alexander on transforming our campus into a 21st-century educational institution,” said ASMA Executive Director Ellen Linzey. “Their experience working with other K-12 schools will be invaluable in helping us improve our facilities for our students.”

About the Author

Matt Jones is senior editor of Spaces4Learning. He can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • Construction Begins on 100+ Acre K–12 Campus Designed for Lakota Culture

    The Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe (CRST) and the Cheyenne-Eagle Butte School District in Eagle Butte, S.D., recently broke ground on a new K–12 campus that will cover more than 100 acres and serve students and families across 1,600 square miles, according to a news release.

  • Rethinking K-12 Schools as a Continuous Learning Experience

    Most students move through three or more separate facilities during their K-12 journey, yet the built environments they encounter at each stage have traditionally been designed in isolation, with little continuity in spatial language, learning philosophy, or physical resources. Each new school is a reset with different layouts, learning models, expectations, and ways of moving through a building. The next generation of school design is making the case that the first day of kindergarten and the last day of high school can and should feel connected through common support systems and infrastructure in the physical environment.

  • ed tech conference calendar

    Upcoming Awards, Events & Webinars

  • Longwood University Hits Construction Milestone on New Music Education Facility

    Longwood University in Farmville, Va., recently celebrated the topping out of its new music education and performance facility, according to a news release. The university partnered with development and construction firm Skanska on the 63,800-square-foot facility, which began construction in August 2025 and has an estimated completion date of fall 2028.