Cromwell Middle School
In replacing an outdated and structurally fragmented school building, the new Cromwell Middle School provides specialized STEAM learning spaces and labs, upgraded performing arts facilities—including an outdoor amphitheater—and substantially more space for 491 students in grades 6 to 8. Organized around a central "main street" corridor with high clerestory windows ushering natural light into the school’s interior, the school’s academic spaces link to a gym and fitness center, 500-seat auditorium, and cafeteria.
DeSimone’s structural engineering team developed an efficient steel skeleton offering much needed spatial flexibility. Working in close collaboration with our in-house detailers, which provided pre-detailing and detailing services for the structural steel and concrete rebar, a coordinated, fabrication-ready steel 3D model, connection design, and shop drawings—we expedited the structural design process and enhanced accuracy prior to engaging the steel fabricator.
| Client | Cromwell Public Schools |
|---|---|
| Architect: | Perkins Eastman |
| Size | 4 Stories | 92,800 SF (8,600 SM) |
| Sustainability | High-performance building, energy-efficient design |
| Office: | New Haven |
| Completion: | 2025 |
Focused on STEAM learning, the state-of-the-art learning environments also include purpose-built classrooms and prep rooms, as well as robotics and maker spaces and tech ed, dedicated suites for music, health, special ed, and counseling, and outdoor learning spaces. High-activity, loud learning hubs were structurally separated from quiet testing zones while supporting heavy, embedded, specialized ventilation systems for science experiment zones.
Our structural design accommodated a solar-ready, reinforced roof structure for automated backup systems to help the school withstand harsh winters without overloading the main power grid. The high-performance, energy-efficient design exceeds the State of Connecticut’s minimum requirements for schools, equivalent to LEED Silver.
