UPDATED March 3: With the opening of the new performing arts and STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts & Mathematics) wings, phase 1 of the Arlington High School building project is complete, and an estimated 50 people toured the wings before students arrived at 11:30 a.m. Feb. 28.
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“The new school will be a fantastic community resource, not only for students, but for every Arlington resident,” Elizabeth Homan, superintendent of the Arlington Public Schools, said in a news release from the town.
“The building realizes an educational and community vision that was over eight years in the making,” said AHS principal Matthew Janger in the release. “We are excited to take the next step to bringing the educational vision to life in this amazing space.”
The new STEAM wing features 16 classrooms, 17 science labs, five visual-art studios, three interdisciplinary makerspaces, a 120-seat Discourse Lab and numerous sustainability features, including two four-story light wells.
The performing arts wing contains band and chorus rooms, practice rooms and a digital production lab. The 826-seat auditorium with a 2,140-square-foot stage, greenroom and fly loft is anticipated to open in early April.
“As we enter the next phase of construction, we appreciate the community’s patience and ongoing support,” commented Jeff Thielman, Chair of the AHS Building Committee. “The next phase of the project will be the most intensive, but the 21st-century educational facility we are building will be worth it.”
Phase two of construction, estimated to conclude in September 2023, begins immediately and consists of demolishing part of the existing facility to build the new humanities, district administration and preschool wing.
The new school is anticipated to be complete in 2024, followed by a year of site work.
Town Manager Adam Chapdelaine affirmed: “The project is on schedule and within budget. I also want to recognize that the new high school is a first step in opening an all-electric facility that meets the town’s net-zero goals.”
The new high school is on track to receive LEED Gold status, and the project team is working hard toward a goal of LEED Platinum.
Project partners for the new high school include the Massachusetts School Building Authority; Skanska USA, the owner’s project manager; designer HMFH Architects and Consigli USA, construction manager.
For more information, visit www.ahsbuilding.org.
This news announcement was published Monday, Feb. 28, 2022, and updated March 3, to add link.
