HMFH Architects
Bristol-Plymouth Regional Technical School
The design of the new Bristol-Plymouth Regional Technical School seamlessly integrates traditional academics with modern career technical programs in a facility that embodies Bristol-Plymouth’s forward-looking educational model. Configured around a courtyard and central hub of shared public spaces including an auditorium, cafeteria and media center, the new school will accommodate 1,434 students in grades 9-12 with state-of-the-art shops and labs for 19 career technical programs.
Career technical and traditional academic spaces are organized by career cluster to create programmatic adjacencies and interspersed with project areas to facilitate hands-on learning. These flexible spaces enable project work from career technical shops and labs to permeate academic classes, bridging the gap between the academic and career technical education and supporting Bristol-Plymouth’s vision of a unified educational environment that promotes diverse learning.
Developing a strong outward identity for the new school is a critical part of communicating Bristol-Plymouth’s mission to its students, faculty and visitors. Public-facing shops such as Culinary, Cosmetology, Graphics and Child Care are highlighted along the south facing façade, with visitor parking, clear signage and colorful graphics to promote the career technical programs among the greater community. The contrast between academic and career technical education as well as how they support one another is integral to the story of Bristol-Plymouth; therefore, this concept was translated into the architectural language of the building’s exterior with the career technical spaces designed in a modern style while the academic zones are characteristic of a traditional school building.
