Slight Changes In Field School Design, But Plans Move Forward

The reconstruction of the Field School continues on, but not without a few changes to the design.

At a joint meeting of the School Committee and Permanent Building Committee last Wednesday at Case House, Jonathan Levi of of Jonathan Levi Architects presented schematic plans for the building, which differ slightly than those presented to the public in July.

"I feel like we've been refining," not subtracting, said Levi.

"I don't think it's been reduced in any way—just more cost-effective."

The biggest changes, he said, are to the roof and to the shape of the classrooms. These are somewhat superficial changes that will offer a cost savings, he said.

The roof will now be continuous instead of parceled, and some of the full-window walls will be interspersed with opaque walls, he said. The new design calls for the removal of some wood detail along the entire north elevation of the building, confining it to just the art and music classrooms and a south classroom, rather than the entire surface.

And the largest change comes from changing some interior finishes to be more uniform, he said.

"Some of it was redundant and not necessary," he said.

In response to a question about how the new building's footprint will line up with bordering on the library's land, School Committee member Ed Heller said Town Meeting will need to approve of that measure. Some of the proposed parking area abuts up to the library's current land.

"I haven't heard any objections yet but it needs to cycle through" Town Meeting, said Heller.

The School Committee and the Permanent Building Committee both voted to send the design and the budget to the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA), which oversees and helps to fund school building projects in Massachusetts. The current estimate for the school's reconstruction is at $31.5 million. Officials estimate the town will receive about 35 percent, or $8.8 million, back from the state to help defray costs.