Dewberry provided structural, mechanical, electrical, plumbing and complete site/civil engineering as a subconsultant for the renovation and expansion of an existing elementary school in New Haven, Connecticut.

The new school is a marriage of the existing 26,769-square-foot, three-story elementary school building, and a new 71,758-square-foot addition to the rear of the original 1913 structure. The addition was designed to compliment the existing school building. Existing brick, reclaimed during demolition, and the use of architectural details reminiscent of the 1913 school building were incorporated in the transition areas. The schools’ proximity to West River Memorial Park, a 1.2- mile linear park consisting of 200 acres of undeveloped water and brackish marsh, provided natural research grounds and land to build a nature center classroom to enhance student learning.

There are two classes per grade, pre-K through 8, and three special education classes. The building consists of 28 classrooms for those grades, special education resource rooms, several science labs, a language lab and a computer lab. The school includes a reheating kitchen, cafeteria/stage, gymnasium, a library/media center, music rooms and an art studio. Support service rooms are provided, including: a teachers’ room, a parents’ area, administrative offices, a health suite, and offices/conference areas for functions such as guidance counselor, social worker, speech pathologist, language assessment and school psychologist.

• One of the largest photovoltaic systems in Connecticut
• Two greenhouses and courtyard garden
• ELMO presentation screens and “SmartBoard”computer laptops used in classrooms as teaching aids.
• Computerized distance learning
• Computer lab and library
• School-based health clinic suite
• A fish hatchery. Fourth grade students raise Atlantic salmon from eggs and release adults into the Connecticut River
• Nature Center classroom located in New Haven’s West River Memorial Park.
• American Weather Service WeatherBug professional-grade weather station allows teachers to apply real-world weather conditions when teaching math, science and geography. Weather reports go to local TV stations for broadcast.

To actively meet the goals of LEED Gold certification (still under process) while maintaining a tight budget, many common recyclable materials were used and special attention was given to the design of the school’s electrical and mechanical systems. The school’s electrical loads are minimized with the inclusion of various natural day-lighting features, landscaped green roofs which will improve thermal performance, and the facility’s highly efficient heating and air-conditioning systems. System controls include a number of energy-saving features to optimize performance and reduce operating costs. Within the library and classrooms, for instance, based upon the amount of natural daylight within the space, the electric lighting will turn on and can be adjusted as necessary. The lighting and HVAC systems are controlled by sensors that turn on/off as individuals enter or depart the room.

The Barnard Environmental Studies Magnet School supports one of the largest solar photovoltaic projects within Connecticut. The school has 272 solar panels on the roof that provide 16 percent of the school’s electricity and will save an estimated $300,000 during the life of the system. It is the first commercial/educational project in the Greater New Haven area, and ranks among the fifth largest in New England.

The nature center classroom building, located within the West River Memorial Park, is accessed from the main school building via a pre-fabricated 229-LF pedestrian bridge that crosses over State Route 10 in New Haven. The installation of the pedestrian bridge was a major undertaking that required limited closing of traffic for a period of several hours. The 130-LF, 138-ton center section of the bridge that crosses over the highway was assembled and finished as a complete element on a temporary setting adjacent to the highway. Once complete, with all road closures and detours approved and coordinated, the span was transported and hoisted onto its final position, 18 feet above the highway, by two large cranes, within a one night roadway closure.