Bancroft Receives MSBA, AS&U Distinctions
SMMA-designed Bancroft Elementary School in Andover has been selected by the Massachusetts School Building Authority for inclusion in its Model School Program, and was awarded the Elementary School Citation in American School & University magazine's 2016 Architectural Portfolio.
Established in 2008, the Model School Program, in its own words, “seeks to effectively adapt and re-use the design of successful, recently constructed elementary, middle, and high schools.” Bancroft was one of 12 most recently named Model Schools—joining 16 others throughout the Commonwealth—making its design eligible for replication in future MSBA-funded projects. The school previously earned a People's Choice Award for "Favorite Place to Study" from the American Institute of Architects' New England chapter.
"This is a complement to the thoughtfulness of all those individuals who worked so hard to make Bancroft an ideal learning environment for students. We are very proud to have been selected and to be able to share our design with other school districts." — Sheldon H. Berman, Ed.D, Superintendent of Andover Public Schools
Each year, American School & University magazine's Architectural Portfolio honors the best in educational facility design from around the U.S. Currently in its 34th year, the Architectural Portfolio is juried by a national panel of educational administrators and members of the American Institute of Architects' Committee on Architecture for Education. The complete list of recognized projects will be published in the magazine's November 2016 issue.
"Great contextual materials! Engages site beautifully! Natural materiality blends and grounds the building while enlivening and activating the exterior learning environments." — AS&U 2016 Architectural Portfolio Jury
Bancroft Elementary School accommodates an enrollment of more than 600 students, and was certified LEED Silver by the United States Green Building Council earlier this year.