CREW CT - The Real Estate Exchange 2016 Blue Ribbon Awards: Best Specialty Project - Adaptive Re-use: CREC Discovery Academy

Wethersfield, CT An abandoned electric utility site is producing renewable energy in the form of a PK through Grade 5 magnet school devoted to STEM subjects: science, technology, engineering and math. The CREC Discovery Academy opened in Wethersfield, CT in September 2015, in a facility that creates learning opportunities inside and out.

“As a STEM school, we now have the opportunity to explore along our nature trails, plant in our rooftop gardens, and engage in larger-scale robotics and engineering projects in connection with our theme and community partners. It is simply an inspiring place to be,” school principal Lynn Toper told The Hartford Courant upon opening. The school accommodates approximately 505 students, who are selected through a lottery; already there is a waiting list.

The site, adjacent to the Berlin Turnpike, was selected by Capital Region Education Council because of the abundant wooded landscape and its availability in a challenging urban environment. The property included three 1950’s-era buildings abandoned by Northeast Utilities in 2006 and left to deteriorate. Making the property appropriate for its new life included soil remediation and demolition of two buildings and part of a third, as well as abatement of hazardous materials in the renovated portion. A new addition was added as well, for a total of 72,000 s/f.

Designers created two front doors, a parent drop-off and a bus drop-off, with canopies connecting to interior walls. The canopies do double duty collecting rain water for rain barrels. A spine of pavers draws students into an atrium with a signature water feature. A multipurpose gathering space, serving as cafeteria, gym or theater, is another first-floor highlight. Natural light, understood to enhance learning, transfuses the school.

The building includes 24 core classrooms and additional spaces for science, literacy, art and music. There is computer lab, library and media center. Color is used for wayfinding. A glass bridge and transparent media center evoke an environment where education is always happening. Designers utilized wood and natural materials, drawing on European references and each double-loaded corridor has vanishing points looking out on the wooded site.

The exterior shell and curtain wall are designed to reflect light, representing the motion of the turnpike. The east side utilizes oscillating vertical fins that cast shadows across the building throughout the day. A roof garden will be used to grow some salad vegetables. Outside learning spaces include an amphitheater enclosed by elevated berms that hide the bus drop-off and allow views of the natural areas, which have been planted with native wildflower species. There are labyrinths, a gathering circle under a signature oak tree, a rain garden, planting beds, nature trails, boardwalks and bridges. The property includes ball fields and playscapes, which are utilized by community residents as well as the school, creating a 24/7 environment.