HMFH Architects

The design of the new Bristol-Plymouth Regional Technical School integrates traditional academics with modern career technical education (CTE) programs in a forward-looking educational model. The layout centers on an expansive courtyard and hub of shared public spaces, including an auditorium, cafeteria, and media center. Now under construction, the high school will accommodate 1,434 students in state-of-the-art shops and labs for 19 CTE programs when it opens in the Spring of 2026.

Career technical education spaces are grouped in program-based clusters to create small learning communities that foster collaboration and share resources. Each cluster includes specialized facilities for skill-based learning and traditional classrooms for lecture-based instruction. For example, programs such as Robotics & Engineering Technology and CAD/CAM (Computer-Aided Design/Computer-Aided Manufacturing) comprise a Manufacturing & Engineering cluster with technology resources and computer labs, while Automotive Technology, Carpentry, and Electrical Technology occupy double-height shop areas with garage door openings to accommodate their large-scale, hands-on projects. Project areas are interspersed with academic classrooms throughout the school to support Bristol-Plymouth’s vision of an integrated educational environment that promotes diverse learning.

From the exterior, the new school communicates Bristol-Plymouth’s mission to its students, faculty, and visitors. Public-facing programs such as Culinary Arts, Cosmetology, Graphic Design, and Early Childhood Education are located along the south-facing façade, with adjacent visitor parking, clear signage, and bold graphics to promote their services to the greater community. The synergistic relationship between academic and career technical education manifests in the exterior architectural language, with career technical spaces expressed in a modern architectural vocabulary and academic zones represented more traditionally.