HMFH Architects
Haverhill Elementary Schools
Haverhill, MA
HMFH analyzed seven sites and found four to be appropriate for four new K-5 schools needed in Haverhill. The initial analysis included a building needs study for the entire town as well as numerous community meetings to review alternative schemes. The new schools share a site with the town’s existing middle schools, in turn creating a K-8 campus and consolidating the K-5 student population. Each school accommodates 670 students, incorporating identical educational programs to provide equal and modern educational facilities for all students.
- Grade PK-5
- Students 670
- Size 80,000 ft2
Designing four identical K-5 schools on very small and very different sites presented an enormous challenge. The solution: a compact three-story building with light-filled atriums connecting each of the levels. The kindergarten spaces on the first floor open out to the play areas. The administrative offices and all shared spaces, also on the first floor, are easily accessible both during school and after hours for community use.
Natural light and bright patterns enrich the interiors, where students and teachers benefit from an integrated technology network and supportive learning environments. The gym and cafeteria are separated by a folding partition which, when opened, creates an expansive, multipurpose space featuring a stage at one end. This flexible space grew from a desire to accommodate the entire school community, including parents, a few times throughout the year.
The schools were built in phases. The first two were called Golden Hill and Silver Hill and the second pair, Bradford and Pentucket Lake, were completed five years later.
