Our renovation and expansion of Braintree’s East Middle School modernized the 1961 school with 21st century learning environments, promoting excellence in instruction and student achievement and advancing Braintree Public School's (BPS) strategic goals. The project follows a town-wide redistribution of students that integrates fifth grade into the middle schools to reduce overcrowding in the elementary schools. When the redistribution is complete, East Middle School will serve 1,180 students in grades 5-8.

The scope of our renovation and expansion encompassed approximately 184,400 sf and reused much of the existing school. The new building organization follows a “schools within a school” model. Small learning communities with distinct academic clusters or “academies” for grades 5-6 and 7-8 help reduce the scale of the school and provide intimate experiences for all students. The new organization also enabled the consolidation of the community-oriented, public spaces to provide easy, controlled access for the public. Working within a tight site, the expansion and site improvements minimized impact on the existing playfields and maximized available parking capacity.

The project is LEED-Silver certified. Significant reductions to energy usage were achieved through envelope improvements, the addition of sunshades, and roof mounted photovoltaic panels. A phased construction approach allowed the current student population to remain in the school throughout construction. Phasing was structured to minimize impact to occupants and maintain safety throughout construction. Phase One opened in September 2019 and Phase Two welcomed students in September 2020.

Tour East Middle School with this video produced by Braintree Public Schools:

A new, centrally located Media Commons is East Middle School’s hub for learning and engagement. It occupies a previously underutilized courtyard and is connected to separate Innovation Labs serving grades 5-6 and 7-8. A bright and energizing space, the Media Commons features a saw-tooth roof with skylights to provide ample natural light. Flexible furniture shapes a range of learning environments for small, medium and large group activities.