The 72,000 SF building was constructed on the 83-acre campus of the existing Orchard Hill Elementary School and Timothy Edwards Middle School. Designed for over 570 students, the new school is now South Windsor’s largest elementary school and includes the town’s full day Pre-K programs, inclusive of students with special needs. Utilizing DRA’s signature community engagement process during design, the school reflects the unique needs and desires of the South Windsor community.

The new elementary school features state of the art technology systems, security and energy-efficient heating and cooling systems. The site design utilizes a streamlined traffic pattern with separate pickup and drop off areas for parents and buses. The new school also meets Connecticut’s School Security Infrastructure Guidelines, High Performance requirements, and Accessibility codes.

With the new building being constructed next to the existing school, an opportunity arose to teach students about the building process. DRA teamed up with Gilbane (the construction manager), and developed a mentoring program for South Windsor students of all ages. In the program they learned about the roles of architect and construction manager, and the different phases involved in the building process. The children participated on tours of the site as their school progressed, and engaged in the building of their new school. Completed in 2017.

In June of 2019, the project team of DRA and Gilbane won First Place for the Project Team of the Year Award from the Connecticut Building Congress in the K-12 School Category,  https://www.draws.com/dra-and-gilbane-win-2019-cbc-project-team-award/