The city of Torrington aimed to consolidate their middle school, high school, and central administration offices into one dynamic facility that represented Torrington’s past, present and future on the existing 31-acre high school campus. While operating as separate entities, a key driver behind combining the two schools together was to introduce the middle school students to the high school’s pathways at an earlier age, helping to inform their choices for the future.
![[logo]](https://slamcoll.com/wp-content/themes/sub151-SLAM/resources/images/logo-only.png){kind=logo}
at-a-glanceSLAM worked closely with Torrington Public Schools, the Board of Education, and the Building Committee to ensure that the learning environments and configuration of the new school reflect the needs and expectations of the Torrington community. Integrating two schools under one roof presented opportunities for efficiency by sharing common facilities, but ensuring each school had their own individual identity remained a top priority for the project.
The new 310,000-SF school is designed to support 1,650 students, an increase from what the original enrollment stated due to an influx of residents during the Covid-19 pandemic. With separate entrances and wings for a three-story middle school and four-story high school, the two are connected by common facilities at the main level which include a premier auditorium and performance stage, two separate student-dining commons, two gymnasia, and support spaces for athletes. Consideration of the student’s social and emotional well-being informed the planning and layout of the facilities, ranging from the placement of social worker offices near the student-dining commons for easy drop-ins to the mix of special education environments to support their THRIVE, VOICES and Life Skills programs.
“We are honored to serve the Torrington community as the architect of this landmark project that will provide them with a new, vibrant, modern, educational facility. The new building will support rigorous 21st century curricula, including flexible spaces that will accommodate current and future academic pathways at the middle and high school levels and performing and visual arts facilities worthy of Torrington High School’s celebrated arts programs.”
The middle school will feature specialty environments supporting programs with two STEM makerspaces and a computer coding lab that are examples of spaces they will encounter in the high school.
High school students with an interest in automotive technology, manufacturing, and high tech, will be exposed to an automotive shop, construction technology lab, and engineering labs with CNC machining, 3-D printing, robotics, and drones. The school’s commitment to the applied visual and performing arts is augmented by a new 480-seat auditorium and complementing outdoor courtyard to enhance the music and performing arts program. In addition to a band room for up to 125 members, shared by both schools, there will be creative environments including an orchestra room, chorus room, and two music technology labs, video production, art, and ceramics, for developing musicians and artists.
“The industrial and performing arts culture of Torrington was an inspiration for our design. We enjoyed working with the community and sharing their passion of designing spaces for students where exploration, openness, and creativity will flourish. The new building is a place that offers that and much more.”
The building’s exterior design features a modern curtainwall that permits abundant natural light, and a brick façade that harkens back to the region’s rich beginning as an industrial leader.
The interior spaces will foster hands-on learning, creating, and discovering to pave the way for a prepared workforce or students of higher education.
Building on the progress that Torrington’s Special Ed department achieved over the years (including the reduction of outplaced students, resulting in significant cost savings), it was important for the new building to support the Special Ed programs the district currently has in place. For instance, the Life Skills classrooms provide students with a self-contained environment that provides opportunity to learn everyday basic skills. The VOICES classrooms help students with communication, social, behavioral and cognitive challenges learn in a less restrictive classroom setting. Staff areas are located in close proximity to these areas for support to these students as needed.
Situated on the sloping southwest portion of the site, the new complex enabled SLAM landscape architects to maximize the northern and eastern quadrants for athletic fields, supporting both middle and high school sports. The entire building and site will be ADA accessible. A new pre-school playground will be located on the Besse Park side of the high school building, which is part of the on-site school readiness program that also supports an early education pathway at the high school.
Entry to the new middle school and high school begins at Besse Park, terminating at safe and defined circulation for pedestrians stemming from separate loops for school bus and parent drop-off.
Classrooms are arranged in small learning communities for grades 7 to 8, along with dispersed administration and support services. A vital component for the high school is their career pathway programs, providing hands-on training opportunities for students to sharpen their skill set in a variety of industries including the growing fields of education, health and wellness, business, military/JROTC, and STEM/advanced technology.
A common servery supports unique dining spaces for the middle school and high school. Each has floor-to-ceiling glass and ample natural light.
![[DT logo]](https://slamcoll.com/wp-content/themes/sub151-SLAM/resources/images/dt-logo-dark.png){kind=logo}
design thinkers blog
