Officials have broken ground on an 88,000 square-foot school in Belmont.
Two- and three-story structures have been demolished, and construction is underway for a new Wellington Elementary School.
The new facility will be configured into two buildings connected by a central two-story core. It will house the administrative offices, media center, art and music rooms.
The town of Belmont said the building will be a certified Massachusetts High-Performance Green School, as defined by the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA), who is providing a portion of the funding for the project.
The design incorporates numerous innovative and sustainable concepts including the use of geothermal wells for heating and cooling, high efficiency mechanical systems, and significant window areas to increase daylighting.
"An educational environment for learning and long-term building sustainability was established as the key principle for the design and construction of the new school. The town’s vision has been embraced by the design and construction team to provide this new school for the current and future elementary school children of Belmont," said Mark Haley, chair of the Wellington School Building Committee.
During the construction of the new school, the current Wellington Elementary students will be temporarily located in a modular classroom building at Belmont High School. The elementary school is for students in pre-kindergarten through fourth grade.
"We are excited to be able to use our construction management expertise as a company in a way that will create a new school that students will be able to enjoy and learn in on a daily basis," said Paul Hewins, general manager and executive vice president at Skanska USA. "Our entire organization shares this community’s outlook on the importance of sustainability and improved open space, not only because it is the right thing to do for the environment, but because it creates a beneficial learning environment for students."
Jonathan Levi Architects is the lead architect for the project and Burt/Hill Assoc. is the associated architect.
