Ai3 Architects A rendering of the renovated and expanded Lowell Elementary School.
The following announcement was provided by CTA Construction:
CTA Construction was awarded the contract in March to renovate and add two new additions to the historic Lowell Elementary School. The groundbreaking ceremony is set to take place on April 27 at 4:30 p.m.
CTA staff members will join the school building committee, members of the community, and
school district staff for the ceremony.
“We are happy to be working again with both Ai3 Architects and owner’s project management firm Hill International,” said Jeff Hazelwood, principal of CTA Construction Managers. CTA Construction has previously worked with Hill International on eight projects, including the Tufts Library for the Town of Weymouth. That public library project earned the prestigious Project Achievement Award from the New England chapter of the Construction Management
Association of America.
“We are glad to be entering the construction phase of this project,” said Vivian Varbedian, Owner’s Project Manager from Hill International. “Hill International has worked with CTA in the past on various projects and looks forward to partnering again on this endeavor.”
Ai3 Architects worked with the city’s team to design a renovation for the existing 71,000 square foot building along with two new additions to the structure.
“The Lowell School sits on an historic Watertown property that includes a substantial “front lawn” within a densely populated residential neighborhood including many historic homes,” said Daren Sawyer, Partner at Ai3 Architects LLC. “The proposed modifications to the existing site required careful considerations regarding the impact to the surrounding neighborhood. One of the two new additions includes a new Learning Commons with a commanding view of the front lawn and newly established outdoor learning labs and gardens.
“The reorganization of the building allows for grade-level teams with strong connectivity to hands-on learning opportunities. Newly created art and music program space within the existing building allow for enhanced opportunities for instruction, participation, and advanced programming options in areas like 3-D art, digital media, music production, and performance. Dedicated space for teacher planning and collaboration throughout the building will greatly enhance professional practices and teacher communication,” he continued. This is his architecture firm’s second project with CTA Construction Managers.
The building committee, which approved CTA Construction’s competitive bid of $37,974,750 in late March has scheduled the project finished by the start of the 2023/2024 school year.
This will be CTA Construction’s 41st school project in Massachusetts.