Connecticut High School Expands for More Students

STAMFORD, Conn. — A recently completed 64,000-square-foot expansion at Westhill High School increased the size of the school by 20 percent, making room for at least 550 more students.

The $15 million addition, which includes a 12,000-square-foot gymnasium and a two-story, 42,000-square-foot classroom wing, was deemed necessary by school officials due to growing enrollment at the high school.

Architectural firm Friar Associates, of Farmington, and structural engineer Szewczak Associates, of Avon, worked with local contracting company W&M Construction Corp. on the project. Since the school remained open during the construction phase, team members coordinated with school officials to minimize the impact of the expansion on students.

“It was necessary to maintain constant communication and coordinate our schedule around the school’s daily activities,” says Tim Yahn, president of W&M Construction. “Keeping noise levels down, especially during finals and testing, was also a major consideration.”

Westhill students now have access to 25 new classrooms equipped with interactive whiteboards and wireless technology; five science labs outfitted with industry-standard fume hoods, chemical-resistant workstations, flask scrubbers, ice machines and other appliances; and a computer lab.

The new gymnasium features full-sized basketball and volleyball courts, new locker rooms and staff offices. The regulation-size facility is also one of the few high school gyms in the area to be certified by the National Collegiate Athletic Association.

Completion of Westhill’s new wing and gymnasium marks a total of $77 million in new construction at area high schools in the last two years. Stamford High opened a new science wing in 2006, and the Academy of Information Technology & Engineering in Rippowam moved into a new 120,000-square-foot facility in fall 2007.