Swampscott Elementary

The Swampscott Elementary School (154,000SF) is a Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) project located in the seaside Town of Swampscott and accommodates over 700 students in Grades K-4. We worked closely with the design team and prime architect, Lavallee | Brensinger Architects, from the early Feasibility Phase through the project Closeout Phase.

The site offers views of adjacent natural resources, including a deciduous upland forest and open space. While the site is compact as it sits within a residential context, we enjoyed creatively maximizing every inch of the exterior space to meet the school’s program, accessibility, and aesthetic goals for the project. We carefully wove subtle details throughout the exterior spaces and naturalized play elements that encourage the students to interact with nature… to get their hands a bit dirty! The final project supports two playgrounds, exterior court spaces, a soccer field, outdoor classrooms, and a pollinator garden that has exceeded expectations in celebration of education and biodiversity.