Robinson School Building Committee selects Lavali Brenzinger as top‑scoring designer and sets kickoff

The Robinson School Building Committee said Feb. 24 that it has identified Lavali Brenzinger as the top‑scoring firm in its designer selection process and will begin fee negotiations and contract work pending formal MSBA notification.

Committee members reported that nine firms originally applied, three were shortlisted and reinterviewed on Feb. 10 and again this morning. The selection panel assigned scores that were close: Lavali Brenzinger ranked highest, followed narrowly by Doran Whittier and JCJ Architecture. The project team said the district could have chosen any of the three finalists and that Lavali Brenzinger will now be asked to submit a fee proposal for review.

Why it matters: choosing a designer launches the PDP (preliminary design program) phase with the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA), a process that sets the project’s preferred schematic and funding parameters. Staff told the committee that the PDP materials — including visioning sessions, an educational program, space summaries and site evaluations — are intended to be completed and submitted to the MSBA by mid‑June.

MSBA process and schedule: staff outlined a timeline tied to MSBA review cycles. The team plans to narrow conceptual options through the summer and fall, submit a preferred schematic by the end of the calendar year, and target schematic design submission for MSBA board review in mid‑2027. If MSBA approves the schematic, the board will finalize a scope and project funding agreement and provide the voter language needed for town meeting; a subsequent debt‑exclusion ballot vote may also be necessary.

Public engagement and site vetting: the committee discussed site‑evaluation procedures and the need to document why alternate sites are not advanced. Members emphasized standalone community forums (auditorium or similarly large events) and recurring visioning sessions to solicit broad feedback and to build a record for town meeting. District staff said the district’s website update (target April 1) and a project page will be used to centralize outreach materials.

Next steps: staff said they expect to receive MSBA notification to proceed, negotiate a fee and contract with the selected designer, and hold a designer kickoff meeting (proposed March 17). The PDP will focus on producing a list of concept options, initial cost estimates and site assessments that the committee will later narrow to a preferred schematic for MSBA review.

The committee did not take additional formal actions on program scope or site selection at the meeting; all substantive decisions remain subject to future votes by the building committee, the school committee and, where applicable, town meeting and ballot voters.