Maria Weston Chapman Middle School

Designed to embrace hands-on, inclusive, and interdisciplinary learning, the new LEED Gold certified Chapman Middle School replaces two middle schools with a 1,470-student facility that provides an equitable educational experience and resources for the entire town. The heart of the school is the Town Square, a light-filled gathering area for dining and community use. Three academic wings radiate off this central space, each marked by a distinct tower-like structure home to specialized lab spaces that support the school’s “exploratories”—introductory elective tracks that focus on modern, STEAM-driven paths in career technical education. Grade-level academic wings are further separated into neighborhoods—a cluster of classroom teams surrounding a double-height presentation space, work area, and support spaces—to create small learning communities that promote a sense of belonging.

Surpassing its initial target of LEED Silver, the project incorporates numerous sustainable design strategies that support student health and well-being. Outdoor classrooms adjacent to each neighborhood project area foster a connection to nature. A 1/2-mile fitness loop around the school connects numerous exercise stations, promoting a healthy lifestyle and serving as a community amenity. Bioswales and rain gardens with native grasses appear in the landscaping along this path to help conserve water and reduce stormwater infrastructure.

Inside the school, expansive windows infuse learning and gathering spaces with natural light and feature fixed sunscreens that respond to the varied orientation of the academic wings to control glare. A highly efficient envelope and triple-glazed windows contribute to a projected EUI that is 52% below code baseline. Low-flow plumbing fixtures reduce water usage, and durable materials, including brick, concrete, rainscreen panels, linoleum flooring, aspenwood fiber ceiling panels, and metal cladding, are easy to maintain and will last the lifespan of the building. Lastly, renovating the gymnasium rather than rebuilding reduced embodied carbon.