As the first new middle school in many decades for Quincy, Central Middle School is a standing example of the city’s long-term vision for 21st Century learning environments. The new three-story, 620-pupil middle school is located on a mere 4-acre urban site near downtown Quincy and the related historic district. Ai3 worked intelligently to resolve the inherent issues of building on a tight site in an urban/historical district by responding directly to these constraints, emphasizing the corner of Hancock Street and St. Ann’s Road rather than pulling the building away from the city streets. The result is a functional, vibrant, and aesthetically-rich streetscape that transforms this Quincy corner.

Today, Central Middle School is a superior learning environment because it incorporates dually pragmatic and innovative design strategies. Natural daylighting methods, enhanced classroom acoustic techniques, and indoor air quality measures are necessities in establishing a healthy learning environment. Additionally, taking opportunities to teach through creative display or applied technology is clever, just as Central does with such design features as its “Wall of Presidents”, its learning modality exhibit, and its literature word display. In fact, the real-time data collected from the building’s sustainable design systems is being used within the curriculum to teach students about energy optimization. “Artifacts” from the previous school were even incorporated into construction of the new.

The new Central Middle School, which received a LEED Gold rating, is an advanced placement feeder school, and sets the standard for 21st Century educational and sustainable environments within the City of Quincy.