Education

Wakefield, MA – Superintendent David DiBarri and the Northeast Metro Tech (NEMT) Building Committee announced that Gilbane Building Company has been hired as the construction manager at-risk (CMR) for NEMT’s new school project.

Designed by architect Drummey Rosane Anderson with PMA Consultants serving as the owner’s project manager, the new school will allow NEMT to grow its enrollment from 1,270 students to 1,600, a 26% increase. The increase in available seats is expected to dramatically shorten the district’s annual waitlist, which on average totals approximately 400 students.

The district is wrapping up the schematic design phase, through which details of the design and cost estimates are being finalized. The Schematic Design Report is slated to be submitted to the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA), a state agency that supports the funding of capital improvement projects in the Commonwealth’s public schools, for consideration in July.

The building project is estimated to cost $317.5 million, and the MSBA will contribute between $110-1,140 million in grant funding to support the project, a total which will be finalized in August. Northeast’s 12 sending communities will be responsible for the remainder of the project costs. Tax impact information for all 12 communities will be available this summer, and voters will have the opportunity to vote on the project this fall.

The new NEMT High School will address the current facility’s outdated building systems, including ADA accessibility and code compliance upgrades, in addition to overcrowding. The new school will feature 21st-century learning environments, improved Individualized Education Program (IEP) accommodations, state-of-the-art shop space, expanded program offerings, a new primary access roadway from Farm Street to reduce traffic congestion, a fullsize gym, a 750-seat auditorium, outdoor space for learning, and a new cafeteria.

With a focus on sustainability, the project is targeting LEED Silver+ certification with energy-efficient mechanical systems, provisions for solar panels, and vegetated roofs. The compact, four-story design will feature an upperlevel courtyard, roof decks, and a doubleheight library rotunda.

Northeast Metro Tech rendering

Wilkins Science and Engineering Center / Rendering courtesy of Payette

Barnstable, MA – Brennan Consulting, Inc. is currently working on Cape Cod Community College’s (CCCC) new Wilkins Science and Engineering Building.

The state-of-the-art STEM building will encompass 37,000sf and cost $38 million. The center will serve as an incubator for ideas of new technologies and aims to have a low carbon footprint. Brennan Consulting has been working on this project since the design phase and will be working throughout the construction phase.

Brennan performed land surveying and civil engineering design, permitting, and construction documents/administration to correct the inaccessibility presently pervasive throughout CCCC. Working with DCAMM’s Statewide Accessibility Initiative, Brennan identified areas from the parking lots to the campus facilities including all pathways, sidewalks, and walkways that did not meet Massachusetts Accessibility Initiative as well as ADA requirements.

Utilizing its new campus base mapping and performing extensive field analysis and measurements, Brennan identified and prioritized the deficient accessibility paths. Brennan designed new alignments and measurements to correct the situation in high priority locations. The Wilkins parking lot was expanded and a new parking lot was added to create more parking for students and staff.

Currently, Brennan Consulting’s advanced construction layout services are underway on this project. This brings it’s own set of challenges as the new Wilkins Center will be shoehorned in between three other pre-standing buildings. High accuracy survey calculations were necessary as the new building will also serve to interconnect several other campus buildings. The buildings will be linked by indoor pedestrian bridges.

Representatives of Brennan Consulting say Governor Baker’s announcement of a $2.6 billion Capital Plan for 2022, $87 million for public higher education projects, indicates construction trends in this sector will not slow any time soon.

Norwalk, CT – Gilbane Building Company has been selected by the Town of Norwalk to provide construction management at-risk services for the new, 328,407sf Norwalk High School.

Designed by Kaestle Boos Associates (KBA), the new facility will be built in multiple phases over a 46-month schedule to accommodate operations of the existing school, which is adjacent to the project site and will remain occupied during construction until its eventual demolition. The new high school will accommodate new and improved educational spaces and technologies for approximately 2,000 students, including new classroom/lab spaces, a gymnasium, kitchen/cafeteria, auditorium, natatorium, and parking. The existing science wing will remain and undergo a complete renovation.

The Gilbane team has developed strict safety and logistics measures to ensure minimal disruption to the surrounding community and to prioritize student safety. The new Norwalk High School is slated for completion by February 2027.