Inter-Generational Learning

Swampscott High School

Swampscott, Massachusetts

Swampscott High School serves 850 students on a limited 10.5 acre site in Swampscott, MA. The project includes the community’s Senior Center as a distinct, dedicated facility that shares the significant resources of the school. In addition, the Senior Center’s adjacency to the school has generated a strong inter-generational learning and volunteering relationship between students and the elderly

The vision for the school began years prior to its design, when SMMA, along with input from the community, developed a master plan for the entire district. An extension of the strategic approach first started by the master plan, our project design began, again, with a process of community engagement, including workshops focusing on math, science, and technology; visual and performing arts; student life, fitness, and sports; and the Council on Aging.

The design reflects two substantial outcomes of the planning process: the community elected to incorporate the Town’s Senior Center into the design of the new facility and to develop the gym as a 30,000 sf field house with indoor track.

The Senior Center shares the school building utility infrastructure, thus eliminating redundancy. The sharing of program areas within the school increased opportunities for seniors that would otherwise not be affordable.

Preserve and Enhance

Preserving and enhancing the existing natural site features and park-like character were important drivers and design challenges for the project. The goal was to nestle the building onto previously developed portions of the site without altering the existing hillside topography or natural rock outcropping and mature vegetation. This constraint required a compact building footprint.

Design decisions regarding articulation of building form were generated in response to the site features and residential abutters. The building footprint, by example, was purposely rotated from street alignment to minimize both the massing impact along the street as well as the negative noise impact on interior classrooms from heavy traffic.

Maximizing the Town's Investment

The Senior Center shares the school building utility infrastructure, thus eliminating redundancy, and separate metering provides fiscal independence. The sharing of program areas within the school (gym, fitness, dance, art, computer, music, lecture halls, etc.) resulted in both a reduction in building area and increased opportunities for seniors that would otherwise not be affordable.

Sustainable Benefits

Sustainability is addressed in many ways, among them shared facilities with the senior center; significant stormwater management; native plantings; light colored roofing; recycling of construction materials and a significant recycling program for school operation; light, views and operable windows into 95% of the learning spaces; indirect, high-efficiency lighting; and use of certified woods.

Keep reading to learn more about sustainability in K-12 schools.

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