Andover committee reviews three renovation scenarios for Andover High School; cafeteria, science labs and code limits shape options

Andover School Committee members heard initial concepts for improvements at Andover High School during a workshop on Monday, Feb. 24, 2025, as TBA Architects presented three conceptual scenarios and sought early feedback from the committee and working group.

The presentation, led by Justin Humphreys, principal of TBA Architects, summarized findings from a multi‑month study and community forums and laid out three broad approaches that mix targeted renovations, modular classrooms ("pods") and new construction adjacent to the existing building. "We have been working for the past couple of months on a lot of information gathering and analysis," Humphreys said, explaining the team’s effort to reuse existing plans while identifying where new space would be most effective.

The discussion focused on three constraints that shape what the district can do without triggering large, code‑related upgrades: (1) the Architectural Access Board rule in 521 CMR that can require full‑building accessibility upgrades if renovations exceed a threshold; (2) a state building‑code provision that can trigger full‑building upgrades if work affects roughly half the building; and (3) the Massachusetts sprinkler requirement that can force sprinkling of an entire building if additions push a building above 7,500 square feet. Humphreys summarized the first trigger this way: "According to the Architectural Access Board code 521CMR, if we spend more than 30% of the assessed value of the building within…