John T. Nichols, Jr. Middle School

Middleborough, Massachusetts

Firm

Drummey Rosane Anderson

Client

Town of Middleborough, Mass.

Area

150,000 sq.ft.

Total Cost

$17,168,156

Completion Date

08/1999

Middleborough’s new middle school accommodates 1,100 students in grades 6 to 8.
Although the school is large, the scale of the building is reduced to create the feeling of a small village. This is accomplished by a cluster of individual exterior expressions that create a visual impression of what is going on behind the facade. Inside, the village metaphor is expressed through the use of a Main Street, or main corridor, interrupted by urban squares, or nodes.
The library is designed to be a focal point. Students proceed through a low entry that opens into a high-ceiling area, a spatial effect that suggests the expansiveness of learning.
In keeping with the education program, the classroom wing houses three teams per grade, occupying five classrooms each. This three-story wing is on a sloped portion of the site, giving the appearance of only two stories when viewed from the school’s entrance.
A secondary entrance provides access to the 145-seat auditorium and gymnasium, which are accessible to the public for after-hours use.

Photographer: ©Peter Vanderwarker