A $36-million renovation and new construction project modernized this 50-year old campus, delivering critical upgrades and new facilities upon completion in August 2022. Scope of work included a complete infrastructure overhaul within the 366,287-sq-ft, three-story school, including the mechanical, electrical, plumbing, technology, security, fire alarm and communications systems. The contractor also turned this portion around during a single two-month-long summer break, including installation of more than 14,000 linear ft of hydronic piping, 400 tons of steel and 1,300 cu yd of concrete. At the center of the project is a new 35,405-sq-ft, 1,050-seat auditorium called the Stratford Playhouse.

While replacing the school’s roof, crews working in the middle of the night and weekends, replaced about 1,000 sq ft of roof a day, waiting out high dew points and adhering to the city’s requirement of having a fire marshal on the roof for all torching activities when propane bottles are present.

After removing 20 rooftop HVAC units on the main building, the contractor discovered that the curbs sat on lightweight insulating concrete with no steel support, so a large part of the roof had to be demolished. The contractor procured additional steel, added structural steel under each unit location and reassembled all the curbs in less than a month.

The old auditorium’s brick exterior contained hazardous mastic with asbestos, which required abatement during demolition and made for a meticulous removal process.

Once demolished, crews realized the common wall with the rest of the existing building did not go all the way up to the deck, which exposed some classrooms to the outside. The contractor installed temporary partitions that would last until the specialized contractors could come in later to complete the work turnkey.