Design team trims 10,000 sq ft from Dwight schematic while preserving educational program

Tekton presenters walked the committee through revised schematic plans that reduce the building footprint by roughly 10,000 square feet while keeping the program elements required by the educational specifications. Presenter (speaker 6) said the team "were able to save about 10,000 square feet from the building without eliminating any program elements that are identified in the educational specifications."

Design moves included modest narrowing of corridor widths, removal of one stair that was not required for egress (reducing the enclosed stairs to three), reorganization of faculty dining and storage, and re-sizing of pitched-roof elements. Tekton estimated those square-footage changes — together with roof design and other architecture choices — account for about $9.1 million in savings.

Committee members raised concerns about long-term flexibility (for example, cafeteria capacity and future classroom needs) and whether mechanical rooms or other required support spaces were being sacrificed. Presenter (speaker 6) said the team preserved code-required egress and had Tim, their certified building-code official, verify travel distances and stair counts.

The committee asked for an overlay diagram and a spreadsheet showing where the 10,000 square feet was removed; consultants said they would provide that material in the coming week.