West Haven, CT If STEAM education is about integrating science, technology, engineering, the arts and mathematics into a project-based learning environment, shouldn’t school buildings for these specialized studies mirror the same foundations? The acclaimed architecture, art and advisory firm Svigals + Partners has arrived at an answer this year, completing the Engineering and Science University Magnet School (ESUMS).

Accommodating grades 6-12, the modern school integrates artwork and experiential, didactic building concepts on the inspiring grounds of a private university. Spanning 122,000 s/f in five stories, the learning environments are housed behind cantilevered glass facades and feature novel amenities and design elements specifically geared toward the ESUMS curriculum. 

“STEAM education intertwines both scientific and artistic mindsets, promoting the kind of 21st-century skills that students need: discipline, flexible thinking, risk-taking and creative problem-solving,” said Jay Brotman, AIA, managing partner for Svigals+Partners.