The shape of the 350-seat auditorium of the new Maynard High School is clearly visible from the concrete and steel work completed so far by CTA Construction Co. Inc. As the architect's vision is realized in Maynard, CTA Construction is making similar progress on seven other school construction projects in Massachusetts.
An award-winning firm based in Waltham, CTA Construction is the general contractor on school projects in Douglas, Billerica, Boylston, Burlington, Tewksbury, Winchester and Weston, as well as Maynard. CTA's portfolio includes 45 projects valued at over $700 million, and CTA has a 94% customer satisfaction rating from the state's Division of Capital Asset Management.
"Because of our extensive experience in constructing school buildings, CTA is able to provide our customers with greater efficiencies with thoughtful planning and competitive pricing. Maynard High School will be the pride of that community and a great example of how CTA Construction is building the future of public schools in Massachusetts," said Jeff Hazelwood Jr., project executive for CTA.
Work on the new $36.7 million Maynard High School began about six months ago and is on track for completion next year. The approximately 122,000 s/f school will serve 410 students in grades 8 to 10. The building was designed by Tappe Associate, Inc., a Boston-based architecture and planning firm. Municipal Building Consultants, Inc. of North Andover provided preconstruction and construction services.
"Working on the maynard high school has been a wonderful collaboratibe effort between the owner, MSBA, OPM and CTA the contractor. We have tried to design a contextual building reflective of weathered wood and natural organic materials as it sits in the landscape behind the existing high school," said Brooke Trivas, principal-in-charge for Tappe Assoc.
The two-story building with a glass wall entrance and brick-and-slate cladding also features a gymnasium with 600 seats on electric telescoping bleachers, a media center, art and music classrooms, and vocational technology classrooms. The new school will also include a radio and TV station that will be integral to the school program.
The skeleton of the new school will consist of 2,200 pieces of steel weighing 770 tons. It is being built adjacent to the existing Maynard High School, which is just 60 feet from the new building at its closest point. Following completion of the new facility, the former high school will be demolished and the site used as playing fields.
The close proximity to the occupied school involves intricate coordination of construction activities in order to minimize disruption to ongoing classes. CTA is experienced in successfully managing these conditions on numerous school projects.
The project is participating in the Mass. Collaborative for High Performance Schools (MA-CHPS), a program that improves the quality of education by setting standards for the design, construction and operation of new, high-performance schools that are environmentally sustainable, healthy and comfortable. MA-CHPS is part of a nationwide program, the Collaborative for High Performance Schools, the nation's first green building rating program developed especially for school learning environments.
In 2011, CTA won a Green Building Award from the Associated Builders & Contractors Massachusetts Chapter for its work on the East Elementary School in Hingham, which featured many environmentally friendly features including solar wall heating and recycled rainwater utilization. In addition, CTA last year won the Public Works Project of the Year from the American Public Works Association and the Eagle Award from the Associated Builders & Contractors Massachusetts Chapter.
Project team included:
* General Contractor: CTA Construction Company
* Owners Project Manager: Municipal Building Consultants, Inc.
*Architect: Tappe Associates, Inc.
* Landscape Architect: Warner Larson, Inc.
* Electric: Wayne J Griffin Electric, Inc.
* Painting: King Painting, Inc.
* Geo-Technical: Weston & Sampson