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New Stoughton elementary planned as a 'school in the woods' with pinwheel layout, mass timber and geothermal
Summary
Architects described a pinwheel floor plan with separated classroom 'neighborhoods,' a community wing with an adult‑size gym and cafetorium, mass timber interior elements, rooftop solar and a geothermal field of roughly 30 wells to support heating and cooling.
Architects for the new Stoughton elementary school presented renderings and described key design and sustainability features on the community program.
Karl Franteski, an architect with DRA, said the building’s 'pinwheel' configuration centers on a learning commons that connects radiating classroom wings so grade cohorts occupy distinct neighborhoods. He said the arrangement allows outdoor spaces to be embraced by the wings and reduces expansive surface parking visible from Park Street; the site driveway will follow a former railroad right‑of‑way that the town will rename Stefano Way.
Franteski described a one‑story facade toward the approach with three‑story classroom wings to the rear. The design groups kindergarten through fifth grade into five classroom neighborhoods and breaks the larger school into smaller, grade‑based communities. He noted the school’s capacity is about 600 students.
The design also includes a dedicated community wing with an adult‑size gym that can be divided by a roll‑up curtain and a cafetorium with a stage so the spaces can be used for community events outside school hours. Franteski said interior features include a multi‑story learning commons with a STEM/project room overlooking the space and that portions of the structure will use mass timber columns and ceiling materials to create a warm aesthetic.
On energy and sustainability, Franteski said the project aspires to at least LEED Silver, will be an all‑electric building and envisions rooftop solar. He described a geothermal approach under the soccer field involving roughly 30 wells drilled to 500–600 feet to provide heating and cooling; the team expects geothermal to serve about one‑third of the building’s heating and cooling needs, mostly first‑floor spaces.
Why it matters: the plan aims to combine modern learning‑space planning with broader community use and an energy strategy that reduces fossil‑fuel use.
What’s next: architects and the building committee will continue interior decisions (colors, finishes and furniture) in coordination with the district’s interior subcommittee and designers.
