Schools
Arrowstreet Chosen as Dale Street Building Design Firm
Firm selected from four finalists on Nov. 5 by MSBA Design Selection Panel; link to submission included here.
Of the four architectural design firms in the running for the Dale Street Building Project, Boston-based Arrowstreet, Inc. was ultimately the one chosen on Tuesday, Nov. 5 at the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) Designer Selection Panel meeting in Boston.
Among the feedback provided about Arrowstreet at the Oct. 15 MSBA meeting where it was selected as one of four finalists, panel members noted these attributes: the firm has in-house resources for sustainable design; it has experience with creating a campus environment integrated with natural environment; and the firm has a history of strong budget/timeline compliance. It was also noted that Arrowstreet is currently engaged in 7 active public projects, and a number of completed projects, mostly with charter schools.
Medfield Superintendent Jeffrey Marsden also noted, “They (Arrowstreet) did a great job addressing Medfield challenges and possible grade re-configurations.”
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To take a look at the Arrowstreet proposal for Dale Street, click here.
Much can also be learned about the Dale Street project by reading the three other design firm finalist proposals especially with regard to perceived challenges, strategies, design approaches and community engagement plans.
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Arrowstreet, formed in the 1960s and with a staff of 95 (per website), is currently engaged in two elementary school building projects -- one for Acton-Boxborough Regional School District, and another for Harvard Hilbreth Elementary. Medfield committee members and Arrowstreet have compared both to the Dale Street project.
While Acton-Boxborough and Harvard projects are similar in many ways, each used advanced planning strategies that likely saved steps on their respective timelines, especially with regard to managing public opinions.
For example, two years prior to applying to MSBA for acceptance into the program, Acton-Boxborough engaged in an intensive analysis with community forums that included evaluating the condition of its school buildings, prioritizing the ones that needed attention, determining enrollment projections, and evaluating pros and cons of establishing a PreK/K early childhood center.
Beyond the MSBA-mandated composition of its 19-member school building committee, Harvard included an energy advisor and a citizen at large. It also appointed five elementary teachers to serve as school liaisons.
Information on the Dale Street Project is accessible via the Medfield.net school website. Among the documents posted, two are especially helpful:
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) - with some of the Dale-specific links referenced above.
Monthly Report (Sept. 2019) - provided by Project Manager LeftField.
In addition, Dale Street Building Committee meeting notices/agendas can be found on the Medfield Town website. So far, meetings have been held since January through October; minutes have not yet been posted.
Past Medfield Patch articles on the Dale Street project include:
