The finalists for architecture firms seeking to design the new Watertown Middle School will be interviewed in public by the School Building Committee, including one with experience working in town.
Four firms will be interviewed at the meeting, which will take place on Wednesday, Jan. 29 at 5 p.m. at City Hall.
In November, the City Council voted to make make improving Watertown Middle School a priority. City Manager George Proakis said the option with the most bang for the buck is to knockdown the older part of the building, constructed in 1922, and renovating and modernizing the newer section, added in 1998. The City will also keep the modular classrooms on Moxley Field for a few more years to serve as swing space while parts of the school are under construction.
Four firms were selected from six firms that submitted applications. The finalists are Ai3 Architects, HMFH, Dore + Whittier, and William Rahn Associates.
The firms will provide information about their proposals for the Watertown Middle School project, including their initial ideas, the project schedule, and show how they would work with Watertown City and School officials.
Ai3 has plenty of experience in Watertown, having designed the new Watertown High School, as well as Cunniff, Hosmer and Lowell Elementary Schools. The firm also designed Kennedy Middle School in Natick, South-West Middle School in Quincy, Oakley Middle School in Norwood, and Beverly Middle School.
HMFH’s work includes Chapman Middle School in Weymouth, Clark Avenue Middle School in Chelsea, Saugus Middle High School, and Rundlett Middle School in Concord, New Hampshire.
Dore + Whittier’s designs include Gates Middle School in Scituate, Consentino Middle School in Haverhill, and Pentucket Regional Middle-High School.
William Rahn designed the King Open and Cambridge Street Upper Schools & Community Complex, Brookline High School’s 9th Grade Academy, STEM Wing Addition & Renovations, and Noble & Greenough School’s Academic Center and Baker Science Building & Shattuck Schoolhouse.
The School Building Committee’s Screening Committee includes Superintendent Dede Galston, Watertown Building Commissioner Paul Johnson, School Building Committee member Kelly Kurlbaum, Assistant City Manager for Community Development & Planning Steve Magoon, Watertown Director of Public Buildings Denise Moroney, and representatives from Vertex, Watertown’s project management firm.
See the packets submitted by the design firms by clicking here.