Milford Central Academy

When Milford School District decided to locate the new Milford Central Academy adjacent to the existing high school, the design challenge was to provide visual compatibility and programmatic interoperability while creating symbolic independence of the two facilities. The Central Academy is designed for 1,000 students in grades 8 and 9 within a 126,000 sf facility, while sharing athletic and music facilities with the adjacent high school. The addition of the new facility required complete redesign of site circulation for the complex, allowing for separation of buses and vehicular traffic and the construction of new athletic fields. The building features a geothermal HVAC system, occupancy sensors, daylighting, high performance glazing throughout, and sun shades for additional thermal control. Landscaping utilizes native, drought resistant plants, and stormwater management is utilized as an outdoor learning environment. Responsible planning included low impact siting and reuse of existing developed sites. This project also includes the installation of a 180KW, 743 panel solar voltaic array.