School leaders announce design firm for GMS project

Superintendent of Schools Derek Folan is pleased to announce that Ai3 Architects has been selected as the design firm for the Galvin Middle School project. Ai3 will work in conjunction with LeftField Project Management and the Canton community.

“Selecting Ai3 marks a milestone in the Feasibility Stage of this process, as prescribed by the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA),” said Folan. “Ai3 has extensive experience designing student-centered, technologically advanced, healthy and sustainable educational facilities. They are very innovative and forward-thinking about learning. We look forward to working with them on this important project.”

The Framingham-based firm has an extensive portfolio of school building projects, including Norwood’s Coakley Middle School, Norwood High School, and Franklin High School.

“This is a major undertaking for the town of Canton and it provides the opportunity to transform both the middle school and the district,” said Troy Randall, a partner at Ai3 and the lead architect on the project. “Our goal is to create a fiscally-responsible school that encourages learning, collaboration, and creativity.”

By the end of October, Canton will submit to the MSBA its Preliminary Design Program, which includes an overview of the project, an existing conditions assessment of the middle school, enrollment projections, comparative cost estimates, and a proposed project schedule. Initial building concepts will be considered as well.

As part of the Feasibility Phase, the community will be invited to engage in discussions around educational visioning and programming, grade configuration, aspirational ideas and feedback this fall. After the MSBA review in October, the initial draft will be returned to the community for further input and development in preparation for a January submission.

In its application to the MSBA, school leaders identified three priorities in completing the GMS project: eliminating existing severe overcrowding; replacing, renovating or modernizing school facility systems to increase energy conservation and decrease energy costs; and replacing or adding onto an obsolete building in order to provide for a full range of programs consistent with state and local requirements.

Canton was accepted into the MSBA program in March 2022, meaning the state will offset a portion of the cost of the building project, as long as MSBA guidelines are followed.

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Posted by Canton Citizen on Jul 21 2023. Filed under News, Schools. Both comments and pings are currently closed.