Originally constructed in the 1960s, the facility underwent an extensive upgrade to comply with Connecticut’s stringent new statewide nitrogen removal requirements, which are designed to improve water quality in the Long Island Sound.
Prior to its renovation, the 100,000-sq-ft concrete structure’s repetitive open floor plates were designed to maximize efficiency, holding books first and hosting people second.
The school’s core 331,000-sq-ft academic building is oriented around four 360-student academies that focus on agricultural, vocational and technical education.
The 321-ft-long, 24-ft-wide structure is the only floating bridge in the U.S. composed of glued laminated timber approach ramps connected to a 261-ft-long floating span, which is supported by fiber-reinforced polymer pontoons.
The 6-MW ground-mount photovoltaic solar array is located on the 50-acre Shaffer landfill site, a former industrial complex and rail yard that once contained high amounts of hazardous materials.