Extensive Collaboration Leads to Exciting Outcomes
The new Florence Roche Elementary School (FRES) was the result of an extensive collaboration between our design team, the Groton-Dunstable Regional School District and the Massachusetts School Building Authority. We were pleased to work closely with the community, administrators, faculty, staff, and students to help identify key goals for this exciting project.
The foundation of the educational philosophy at FRES is Universal Design for Learning, which embraces a learning environment that encourages curiosity and supports an individualized joy of learning. We whole-heartedly embraced this paradigm and learned program specifics through educational visioning sessions and multiple workshops with FRES teachers, administration, and other key stakeholders of the project. These instructional building blocks of education provided the framework for a design that responds directly to the district’s educational program, providing a strong foundation for future design decisions.
Location
Groton, MA
Client
Groton-Dunstable Regional School District
Size / Area
110,000 SF
Certifications
LEED Silver
Energy Use Intensity
33.9 pEUI
Students
645
Grades
K-4
Evaluating Multiple Options
During our feasibility study, we evaluated the possibility of:
- renovation only,
- addition/ renovation to the existing building
- new construction
An in-depth cost comparison clearly showed that new construction was the most economical solution for FRES.
After evaluating a number of potential sites the team decided that FRES should remain at its current Main Street campus, allowing the school to share resources with the Middle School and the Twomey Youth Center. Multiple design iterations showed the existing track to be the ideal location for the new construction, to be built while the existing school remained occupied.
“One of the reasons we chose Studio G as our designer was the effort that they had put into the research on the work of UDL that we use as a critical component of our Multi-Tiered System of Support which is district-wide to all students. The arrangement of full class and small group work spaces, the access to outdoor learning spaces, the placement of intervention spaces – all of this reflects our commitment to UDL.”
– Dr. Laura Chesson, Retired Superintendent, Groton-Dunstable Regional School District
In Harmony With the Land
One of our core beliefs at Studio G is that the land a building sits upon is an opportunity to harmonize the site and building seamlessly. We used brick detailing and coursing on the exterior to suggest woodland trees, evocative of the town’s abundant conservation land. Plantings and benches welcome visitors at the southwest-facing entry’s central gathering plaza. Security and safety features, such as earth berms protecting play areas, are invisibly or subtly integrated into the design, and the play areas, walking paths, and the open space in front of the school can all be enjoyed by the larger community. Rain gardens become a tool to teach students about the water cycle and native plan ecology.
Shared Programs Foster School Community
The Cafeteria and Gymnasium are located off the entry lobby for easy public access and share a stage, allowing either space (or both) to be used for performances and school assemblies. The adjacent administration suite allows for easy monitoring of the comings and goings of students, staff, and visitors.
Other shared programs at the heart of the school include:
- the Media Center
- the Outdoor Learning Lab (OLL)
- the STEM Lab with an outdoor patio for projects
- the Music and Art Room
We created first-floor project areas to open directly to the OLL with outdoor classrooms, gathering spaces, and planting beds, with natural play and exploration areas located at the perimeter of the building.
Using “Neighborhoods” to Promote Learning
Beyond the lobby are two 2-story academic wings organized into grade-level learning neighborhoods that help fulfill the school’s mission of allowing all learners to reach their highest potential socially, emotionally and academically. The wings can easily be locked off from public access and are oriented for maximum solar exposure.
The younger learners are on the first floor giving them easy access to the frequently visited shared program spaces, while the older learners are on the second floor, accessed by an open central stair. Each of the five neighborhoods (K-4) has a project area, which provides flexibility, opportunity for breakout space, and a zone for non-classroom-based activity.
Efficiency as a Key Feature
Ever mindful of incorporating efficiency into our designs, we worked closely with the School Building Committee and Groton Electric Light Department (GELD) to reduce the new school’s fossil fuel dependency. The building’s HVAC systems are designed to minimize gas-fired HVAC equipment and a rooftop photovoltaic array will be installed. This array will be connected to a Battery Energy Storage System (provided by GELD) for backup emergency power to eliminate diesel-powered generator use.
