2025 Blue Ribbon Brochure

North Branford High School North Branford, CT

The recently completed North Branford High School replaced the existing facility that was constructed in 1963. The school is located on an academic campus with the Intermediate School, and a shared Auditorium facility.All three buildings are all connected by elevated bridges. The existing High School was outdated, and oversized for the projected enrollment and the structure was deteriorating. Considering the challenges of renovation, the community voted to right-size the building and provide a new state-of-the-art facility. QA+M Architecture’s design approach utilized the existing building for swing space, and with a phased demolition approach, allowed the team to construct a new three-story academic tower in the first phase of construction, and the technology & athletics wing was constructed in phase two on the existing building’s footprint. The objective identified by the Board of Education and the North Branford community was to develop a flagship high school that established a new standard for the Town’s educational facilities. The infusion of technology throughout was an imperative in its design, and included a 9 panel display screen located in the cafeteria that allows the space to serve as a hub of student activities throughout the day. A similar display screen was incorporated into the media center to facilitate small group presentations. Technology systems are utilized throughout the day in a variety of ways to support and enhance instruction and learning including broadcasting from the school’s TV studio. The design integrated a commercial culinary arts lab, as well as construction & engineering labs, in alignment with the communities’ values of trade-based learning opportunities. The site constraints and the best location for the new school posed a significant challenge to minimizing disruption to education while maintaining safety and security at the Intermediate and High Schools during construction. Bounded by the existing High School to the West and North, wetlands to the East and restricted by the auditorium building to the south, the design required an optimized building footprint. The solution was a three-story academic structure, which minimized encroaching into the wetlands and provided adequate space to construct phase one while maintaining access to all educational programs. To address environmental concerns, a significant wetlands rehabilitation effort was implemented to remove invasive species and promote regional biodiversity on site. Multiple outdoor classroom spaces, a green roof off the environmental science lab overlooking the wetlands took advantage of these natural enhancements and offer active & passive teaching and learning opportunities for educators and students. The variation and options of seating and flexible furniture environments throughout the sophisticated learning spaces, offer many choices for students, fostering both independent and collaborative learning environments. The furniture was carefully considered and directly contributes to the agility of spaces that can easily evolve & transform for a variety of community needs and activities. The educational campus has the feel of a community college. Through close coordination between the construction team, school administration, and community partners, the project was completed on schedule and under budget returning over $1.2M to the Town at project completion.

Owner — Town of North Branford - Board of Education

Project Size — 107,000 square feet

Project Team — QA+M Architecture, Gilbane Building Company, RZ Design Associates, FHI Studio, Benesch, D’Agostino Associates, Interscape Commercial Environments

18 Blue Ribbon Awards 2025