Fall River, MA Suffolk, one of the largest and most innovative builders in the country, constructed and delivered the new B.M.C. Durfee High School in Fall River, Massachusetts in time to welcome back students for the new academic year. The $263 million, 501,000 s/f educational facility was designed by Ai3 Architects and commenced construction in 2019.

“Suffolk is proud to deliver this incredible learning facility to the great City of Fall River,” said John Fish, chairman and CEO of Suffolk. “I often say the students of today are the leaders of tomorrow. The new state-of-the-art Durfee High School will provide a rich educational experience that will position our young people for success and impact this entire community for generations to come.”

The design of the new Durfee High School emphasizes natural light and open space—every classroom contains large windows, and a three-story atrium provides a bright common area for students and teachers. The new school also features the latest in educational technology. Every classroom is equipped with an interactive Promethean board that allows teachers to display and mark up images from their computers. The building includes a television studio where students can learn production, planetarium for astronomy studies, culinary arts restaurant for training future chefs, and salon run by cosmetology students.

The design of the new educational facility includes aspects that hearken back to Fall River’s past, including reclaimed wooden beams and stair treads from the King Philip Mill and a telescope in the school’s observatory that was manufactured in the 1880s.

“The new B.M.C. Durfee High School is a long-awaited victory for the residents and youth of Fall River,” said mayor Paul Coogan. “This building will be able to fully support our students as they explore their educational, vocational, creative and athletic goals. When our students thrive, the entire community thrives.”