Thumbnail Exterior HN Darien High 40 Masthead HN Darien High 20

Darien High School

Client
Darien Public Schools
Location
Darien, CT
Size
334,700 SF
Completion
2005
Tags
K-12 Education Public Schools Interiors

The program called for new classrooms and administrative spaces, drama, music and art spaces, including an 18,000 square foot auditorium, a new library/ media center, physical education/ athletic facilities, and state of the art science facilities that includes specialized laboratories and a greenhouse.

The existing high school could not be renovated and expanded in a cost-effective way without a significant reduction in the number of playing fields. We identified a location on the site for an all-new school building, allowing the existing school to remain in operation during construction and improving on-site vehicle circulation, with no net loss in the number of fields.

The new school was designed as a single building, broken up into a ‘village of forms’ around a central courtyard, with one side open to the view. At the heart of the school is the library reading room, a pavilion that is a focus for the courtyard.

Full width Exterior HN Darien High 13 sm
Recognition
  • IIDA New England Interior Design Award for Best Education Design, 2007