My Morning at the New Putnam High School

The detail of this luminescent pendant light is just a tiny fraction of the smart details found in the 308,000square foot Vocational Technical High School in Springfield, Massachusetts. The project team included Drummey Rosane Anderson Architects, Consigli Construction and The Morganti Group. Massachusetts’ high performance school standards were implemented in its environmentally sensitive design.

After making my way through its large urban neighborhood the school’s colossal footprint commanded my attention. Its elongated form filled the length of the street to reaffirm regional scale and density. The entrance is punctuated by a second floor with double high glazing that in my mind’s eye evokes openness and transparency. Architectural glass is also used along the entire height of the building’s south side.

Once inside, I am greeted at the security desk with rich wood paneled backdrop and its friendly school plaque. This large hallway with soaring ceiling heights serve as interior streets and plazas and emphasize light and town square experience. The polished concrete floors of the corridor start out wide and expand steadily and follow the lands gentle decline. As I descend a few stairs and make my way past the offices, Cosmetology Salon and Culinary Arts Café, I am met by a dramatic atrium with two staircases and tiers of seating in their center. The window curtain wall on the second floor transitions from translucent to opaque glass. It illuminates the stair-style-auditorium from above and keeps the adjacent corridor screened.

Upstairs I am happy to find more corridors that shine with good proportions, plentiful daylight, and eclectically expressive materials. Observing the space from this vantage point allows me to see the joy and wonder of the many students and faculty as they walk past and admire their new home. I locate the library which is directly above the entry lobby; it makes use of the double height curtain wall and provides a well lit research and study space. Half the day has past and I head outside for some fresh air, a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, and a chilled crisp apple.

Hancock Center for Technology

Overlooking the Hudson River Valley this four-story building utilizes limestone, red brick, and rustic stone all of which have been used throughout the campus. The new facility displays a Gothic quality that is in accord with the architectural style of the established Marist College Campus in Poughkeepsie, New York. The design team for the School of Computer Science and Mathematics included renowned Robert A. M. Stern Architects and the established engineering team of Kohler Ronan, LLC. Inside and out every detail was carefully considered.

The interior spaces possess a refined feel from the fine leather and textile furniture in the lounge, to the beautiful lumber used for the conference room table, and the wrought iron furnishings for the west terrace. The abundant millwork never feels dark or ridged; instead it helps convey the building’s significance on campus. The spacious first and second floor galleries with tall windows emphasize the striking river valley sunsets and provide generous natural light.

After spending a whole day experiencing the Hancock Center, I felt that being in its many spaces gave me a sense of established tradition. Its clean aesthetic is geared toward a collaborative learning and working environment and its peaceful green space that made me want to linger.

James J. McCann Athletic Center

Originally built in 1977 perched on the banks of the Hudson River in Poughkeepsie New York, the small 40-year-old-gym has been renovated to contemporary standards. The renovation consisted of a two-story addition, new locker rooms, faculty offices, lobby and an overhaul of the Field House.

When you enter the lobby and move past the warm wood paneled security desk area you are pleasantly surprised by the way the room changes from a single to a double height space. This generous area provides a convenient place to meet-up with your friends before and after a game or swim meet. The stairs located to the right lead straight to the Natatorium.  Back downstairs the updated basketball court shines with a classic wood floor, retractable chair-back seats on the east and west side, more sizeable bleachers in the north end zone, and in opposite corners of the court there are two giant video boards. This modern bowl style seating is more advantageous in loud noise situations because it helps to build more excitement during a game.

As you continue past the lobby, the Field House is on your left, you are lead by the corridor to the newly built addition toward the back of the facility. Here a curtain wall of windows provides natural daylight to fill the space and lead you to the men’s and women’s locker rooms, meeting rooms and up the staircase to faculty offices. To help tie the addition to the original athletic center the same warm wood is continued in many aspects of each of these new spaces; red brick is used on the exterior, the walls are painted a pleasant shade of white, and the red fox school mascot can be seen on many details. Together all these elements help to communicate feelings of unity, welcoming and team spirit.​