October 19, 2020 – Stratford High School Phase 2 opened on schedule last month, providing more space for the high school population as they kick off a school year like no other. The existing Stratford High School was originally constructed in the mid-1920s, with additions in 1929, 1947, 1963, 1970 and 1987, totaling approximately 174,000 square feet. The school sat on a 6-acre parcel, with a long, narrow, 4-acre field located across King Street.
This project replaces the majority of the existing masonry building and completely renovates the rest, increasing the size of the High School to 240,000 square feet. The result will fully transform this educational facility into a state-of-the-art learning environment, which will equip students with the tools and technology they need to succeed, heighten collaboration and classroom engagement, and prepare them for the future.
The new facility design brings modern technology into every space, providing full support for virtual and online learning – something that is becoming increasingly necessary in K-12 education today and in the future. Construction at Stratford High School is phased so the school can stay open. In the first phase, which began in 2017, a new, ±130,000gsf, three-story “West Building” was built on the school’s former field west of King Street, housing most of the academic classrooms, the main office, and the cafeteria. A pedestrian bridge was constructed over King Street to connect the West Building to the rest of the school.
Phase 2 began in 2018, when the school moved into the west building, allowing the east side of the existing building to be removed to make way for new construction. Phase 2 features common spaces like the Gymnasium, Auditorium, and Lecture Hall, with a large civic lobby to tie everything together and provide a community focal point relating to Stratford Town Hall, which is right across the street. Phase 2 also includes specialty classrooms for the Culinary department with a full commercial kitchen and a Restaurant. Stratford High’s renowned music department has new space for Band and Choral activities along with a suite of practice rooms and a dedicated Music Technology Classroom.
The former building’s gracious 1924 limestone archway entrance was meticulously salvaged, re-assembled and fully restored along the south façade, providing entry to a new “Hall of Fame” lobby next to the new Gym. In the third and final phase, underway right now, the remaining portion of the existing school will be renovated. The existing main Gymnasium wing, built in 1947, will now provide space for an Auxiliary Gym with a climbing wall, a fully equipped fitness center, and more classroom space. Construction is expected to wrap in March of 2021.
Read more about the project here: www.antinozzi.com/project/stratford-high-school/
