Winchester High School is among the top ten best high schools in Massachusetts, and can now add another state-wide title to its list: Winchester High School has been recognized by American Council of Engineering Companies of Massachusetts (ACEC/MA) as a Bronze winner in the 2018 Engineering Excellence Award Competition.
The ACEC/MA award competition recognizes “firms for projects that demonstrate a high degree of achievement, value and ingenuity. Entrants are rated [...] on the basis of uniqueness and originality; future value to the profession and perception by the public; social, economic and sustainable development considerations; complexity; and successful fulfillment of the client/owner’s need, including schedule and budget.”
L–R: Beth J. Larkin, PE, Guest Emcee for ACEC/MA and Assistant General Manager for Capital Delivery at MBTA; Anthony Iacovino, AIA, LEED AP, Senior Associate and Senior Project Architect at SMMA; Michael Scipione, President of ACEC/MA and President and CEO of Weston & Sampson; and John Hart, PE, CDT, LEED AP, Senior Associate and Manager of Civil Engineering at SMMA.
The Winchester High School project was characterized by site, sustainability, and stylistic challenges. SMMA had to counteract the poor soils and floodplains that surrounded the concrete frame of the school, as well as keep the school operational during the three-year construction.
Perhaps most notably, the high school's rapidly deteriorating condition did not inspire belief that it could be saved, nor did it reflect the school's National Blue Ribbon credentials.
The design was able to transform the 1970s Brutalist-style school into a stronger, lighter and more energy efficient building that is an asset to the community at large. The new school conveys in its built fabric the educational ideals of the faculty and elevates the status of it students by creating a superior environment for learning.
