Boston-Area High School Finishes First Phase of Revamp

By Eric Althoff

ARLINGTON, Mass.—Arlington High School, which has been educating students since 1915, will be able to meet its 21st century educational and arts goals thanks to the construction of its new Performing Arts and STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts & Mathematics) wings, the components of Phase 1 of the Arlington High School project.

According to a release from the town of Arlington, the STEAM wing hosts chorus and band rooms, practice rooms, digital production lab and an 826-seat auditorium. In addition, the facility offers 16 classrooms, 17 science labs, five studios for visual arts, interdisciplinary makerspaces and a 120-seat “Discourse Lab.” For sustainability purposes, the wing also features four-story lightwells.

Designer HMFH Architects worked in conjunction with construction manager Consigli USA, as well as project manager Skanska USA, the American arm of the firm based in Sweden.

In a statement released by the town, AHS Principal Matthew Janger said that this project has been nearly a decade in the making.

“We are excited to take the next step to bringing the educational vision to life in this amazing space,” he said.

According to the town of Arlington, the facility aims to achieve, at minimum, LEED Gold status, but the planners are hoping for LEED Platinum.

Phase 2 of the work at Arlington High School will entail tearing down part of an existing building so that a new Humanities, District Administration & Preschool wing can be designed. That work will commence in the fall of 2023, with the facility anticipated to open thereafter sometime in 2024.