Catherine Kolnaski Elementary School

Groton, ConnecticutNew Construction

Project of DistinctionJCJ Architecture

2008 Exhibition of School Planning and Architecture

CafetoriumCommunity Environment:

The Catherine Kolnaski Elementary School is one of three school projects resulting from an extensive Master Planning effort undertaken by the town of Groton. JCJ directed the planning process that brought consensus among town and school administrators, as well as the public, whose feedback was actively solicited several times in open forums throughout the planning effort.

CafetoriumCommunity Environment: Continued…

JCJ assessed the feasibility of renovation and/or expansion of existing facilities compared to the cost of land acquisition and new construction. This PreK-5 school serves 550 students and is the first elementary school built in the town since 1968. It’s core spaces are multi-functional and can be secured from the classroom areas yet accessed for after hours events and activities.

ClassroomLearning Environment:

Through both the Master Planning and Building Planning process, flexibility of the learning environment emerged as being most important to stakeholders and designers alike. The L-shaped classroom configuration provided the most adaptable solution for diverse learning. This configuration facilitates both passive, teacher directed learning and active, student directed learning by allowing for a specialist to work individually with one or two students, or students to work on projects with each other without disrupting their classmates.

Media CenterLearning Environment: Continued

The physical environment is scaled to the student. The one-story wing houses grades PK-1. The two-story wing houses grades 2-5. The media center is centrally located between them.

Exterior BackPhysical Environment

We view our school buildings as teaching tools that are as important to learning as the resources they contain. Learning is spontaneous and occurs in every setting for children. Outside, students learn physically through playscape activities and passively by observation and investigation.

ClassroomPhysical Environment - Continued

Inside, the L-shaped classrooms adapt to age groups and activities providing opportunities for diverse learning zones. By creating activity settings, the classroom may be arranged and viewed as supporting formal, informal, and creative skills.

Site PlanPlanning Process:

JCJ believes in a design process that focuses on consensus building and engages all segments of the community. Town administrators, school administrators, teachers, parents, students, and members of the general public participated in workshops. The information gathered was used to develop goals for the building and objective criteria for evaluating design solutions. JCJ presented multiple solutions at each design phase for committee review and discussion. Solutions were presented with associated materials and costs, providing the information necessary for efficient decision-making that kept the project on schedule.

Exterior BackPlanning Process: Continued

Our commitment to the countless generations of children who will use our schools is to provide them with safe, nurturing, and joyful environments for exploration and discovery.

Exhibition of School Planning and Architecture 2008 Project Data

Submitting Firm : JCJ ArchitectureProject Role Architect, Project ManagementProject Contact Greg Smolley, AIA, AICP, LEED APTitle Principal | Education PracticeAddress 38 Prospect StreetCity, State or Province, Country Hartford, CT 06103Phone 860-247-9226

Joint Partner Firm: N/AProject RoleProject ContactTitleAddressCity, State or Province, CountryPhone

Other Firms: CES, Inc.Project Role MEP EngineerProject Contact Douglas LaJoie, PETitle PrincipalAddress 811 Middle StreetCity, State or Province, Country Middletown, CT 06457Phone 860-632-1682 (continued on supplemental slide)

Construction Firm: Gilbane Building CompanyProject Role Construction ManagerProject Contact Peter ManningTitle Project ExecutiveAddress 99 Groton Long Point RoadCity, State or Province, Country Groton, CT 06340Phone 860-449-1166

Exhibition of School Planning and Architecture 2008 Project Details

Project Name Catherine Kolnaski Elementary School 

City Groton 

State Connecticut 

District Name   Groton

Supt/President James E. Mitchell, PhD 

Occupancy Date January 2008 

Grades Housed Pre K-5 

 

Capacity(Students)   550

Site Size (acres)   18 acres

Gross Area (sq. ft.) 76,000 sq ft

Per Occupant(pupil) 99.5 sq ft 

gross/net please indicate 72% 

 

Design and Build?   N/A

If yes, Total Cost:  

Includes:  

 

If no,  

Site Development:   $6,099,241

Building Construction:   $15,115,268

Fixed Equipment: $1,121,000 

Other:   $3,764,491

 

Total:   $26,100,000

Other Firms: PARE Engineering CorporationProject Role Site/Civil EngineerProject Contact Kenneth DeCosta, PETitle Senior Vice PresidentAddress 8 Blackstone Valley PlaceCity, State or Province, Country Lincoln, RI 02865Phone 401-334-4100

Supporting/Supplemental Files/Images

Other Firms: MACCHI Engineers, LLCProject Role Structural EngineerProject Contact Michael Plickys, PETitle Project ManagerAddress 44 Gillett StreetCity, State or Province, Country Hartford, CT 06105Phone 860-549-6190

Other Firms: Ducibella, Ventor, & SantoreProject Role Security ConsultantProject Contact Robert DucibellaTitle PrincipalAddress 250 State StreetCity, State or Province, Country New Haven, CT 06473Phone 230-288-6490

Other Firms: Ferrero Hixon Associates, LLCProject Role Landscape ArchitectProject Contact Christopher FerreroTitle PrincipalAddress 736 Hopmeadow StreetCity, State or Province, Country Simsbury, CT 06070Phone 860-658-0456

Other Firms: CCR PyramidProject Role Technology ConsultantProject Contact Michael KerwinTitle President | Technical DirectorAddress 460 Totten Pond RoadCity, State or Province, Country Waltham, MA 02451Phone 860-449-1166