Winchendon School

The Winchendon School needed to upgrade its dining facilities, provide a space in which the entire campus community could gather, and add additional classroom space. They engaged Madigan to construct a building at the center of campus which would fulfill all three needs. This new building, known as Faculty Hall, in honor of the faculty that have served the school, includes a main level dining hall, a skylit serving area and an art gallery. At the lower level are classrooms, an IT room, soundproofed music practice rooms, and mechanical and electrical spaces. The building, which features views of nearby Mt. Monadnock, has an octagonal footprint which was constructed with a combination of structural steel and exposed glue-laminated beams. Connected to the main administration building via a breezeway, Faculty Hall sits on the main quadrangle, and is the centerpiece of the campus.

Challenges during construction included ledge removal, winter foundation installation, and the relocation of the main campus electrical service. Madigan worked closely with the architect, creatively solving challenges surrounding the complex design, to ensure that the School’s vision was realized in the final outcome.

Highlights

• Building footprint is octagonal in shape
• The 14,000 sf structure is a combination of glue-laminated beams and structural steel
• Octagonal skylight/monitor is the central exterior visual feature