Reflecting the communities it serves.

The design of Nipmuc Regional Middle/High School recalls the industrial mills and farming history of two rural Massachusetts towns.

Configurations for grouping children for teaching are many. There are advocates of a K-3 primary school, for instance, while others call for a K-6 configuration. Most experts agree that children above grade 5 need to be separated into their own school. But few designers have grouped grades 6-8 with grades 9-12.

A few such schools are starting

to appear, however, mostly in the East. Among them is Nipmuc Regional Middle/High School in Upton, MA. Located on a 50-acre wooded site, this 147,000-square-foot facility provides an excellent educational and community resource for the Mendon and Upton Regional School District. The school serves 1,000 students in two separate, three-story academic wings; one for the middle school (grades 6-8) and one for the high school (grades 9-12), with shared support space within a central core. Designed by Earl R. Flansburgh + Associates, the general contractor for the project was Interstate Construction Co., Inc., of Peabody, MA. The project was completed in December 1997.

Each school has separate entries and "identity" spaces. Two separate three-story classroom wings flank a centralized rotunda. This rotunda houses the shared facilities, including a media center, professional development center, and cafeteria. The layout of the 50 classrooms accommodates several small group teaching stations. Each classroom is equipped with a minimum of four student computers that are networked centrally and locally, and a teacher's computer which can be broadcast onto a wall-mounted television monitor.

There are other innovations incorporated into design: a central library/media center; fiber optic cabling to high-speed networks; voice/video/data technology systems; science labs; designated space for music, art, and special education programs; and a broad range of after-hours community programs. According to Earl R. Flansburgh, FAIA, principal in charge of the project, "This advanced technological school, although 147,000 square feet in area, is designed to reflect the simple massing and small scale rural buildings of the community it serves." Unlike the concrete, fortress-like schools of the '60s and '70s, the new facility inspires a sense of community and individual responsibility by creating a learning environment that is more collegial than institutional.

The design embodies the constructivist philosophy of education - an instructional model that emphasizes active student involvement in the learning process and the development of real-world skills including collaboration, communication, and critical thinking. Supporting this concept are five-sided classrooms that encourage a shift away from teacher-centered, to student-centered, learning. Replacing the teachers' desks at the head of the class are teacher stations - L-shaped tables within a large unit equipped with a computer, printer, and shelving for books and materials. Gone are the chalkboards and regimented seating of yesterday, replaced by wipe boards, wall-mounted television monitors, and computer banks. The flexibility of classroom spaces and furnishings allows students to work independently or in project-based groups, using teachers as guides and facilitators.

The focal point of the school is the two-story media center/library located at the junction of the two academic wings. This central resource is equipped with sophisticated research and multimedia technology, 20 computer workstations, and numerous laptop computer hookups. The design provides students with a variety of work spaces, formal seating around tables for group discussions, and informal duster seating where students can relax with friends or study independently. An expansive semi-circular bank of windows filters in an abundance of natural lighting and provides views of the landscaped courtyard.

Located on the third floor with win dow views of the media center below is the Professional Development Center a configuration of conference and project rooms that replaces traditional departmental offices and promotes interdisciplinary collaboration among the teaching staff. It also provides space for graduate course satellite programs at local colleges.

The school is very closely linked to the community. Core facilities zoned for extensive after-hours use include a 550-seat auditorium divisible into three separate lecture halls, a large cafeteria, a gymnasium known as "the barn" with spectator seating for 825, and a fitness center. Supervised programs including Biddy Basketball (basketball for small children), yoga, Nautilus, and stress reduction workshops are run in the evenings and on weekends. New playing fields fully equipped with lighting and irrigation provide bath school and community with expanded athletic and recreational facilities.

The school's exterior reflects the town's desire to use building forms and materials that honor its agrarian and industrial heritage. Pitched roots, copper-sided cupolas, brick, split-face concrete block, and wooden fencing recall the 19th-century mills and farming history of the region. A large clock tower designating the school's main entryway was modeled after one that sat atop the old Upton Hat Factory.

The new school is part of a comprehensive $24.9 million construction pro gram to upgrade and replace the Mendon-Upton School District's educational facilities. Project costs totalled $19.24 million, with a cost per square foot of $115.

Along with the new regional middle/high school, the former Nipmuc/Miscoe Regional School was fully renovated and expanded into a regional elementary school to provide additional enrollment capacity. These new and renovated facilities ensure thai all the school district's students have access to first-rate educational resources, to meet the personal and professional challenges of the 21st century.

Kate Brannelly is marketing director for Earl R. Flansburgh + Associates, Boston, MA.