Town Of Arlington: First Wings Of New Arlington High School Open

Press release from Town of Arlington:

02/28/2022 6:00 AM

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. According to Dr. Elizabeth Homan, Superintendent of the Arlington Public Schools “The new school will be a fantastic community resource, not only for students, but for every Arlington resident.”

“The building realizes an educational and community vision that was over 8 years in the making,” remarked AHS principal Matthew Janger. “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, 5 visual art studios, 3 interdisciplinary makerspaces, a 120 seat Discourse Lab and numerous sustainability features, including two four-story lightwells. 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 2 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 & Preschool wing. The new school is anticipated to be complete in 2024, followed by a year of site work.

Adam Chapdelaine, Arlington’s Town Manager 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 towards a goal of LEED Platinum.

Project partners for the new high school include the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA), Owner’s Project Manager Skanska USA, designer HMFH Architects and Construction Manager Consigli USA. For more information, visit www.ahsbuilding.org.

 Looking up into one of the new light wells in the new Arlington High School.

Mass. Ave. entrance to the new Arlington High School.

This press release was produced by Town of Arlington. The views expressed here are the author’s own.