The wow factor was in full effect as community members toured the new North Branford High School (NBHS) academic building on April 17, shortly after the end its first day filled with students.

The three-story building was a hit with students, residents and others, including plenty of T-Bird alumni and former teachers who responded to the public tour invitation from North Branford Public Schools.

Superintentendent of Schools Scott Schoonmaker was at the new facility to greet students and staff on the morning of their first day of classes inside.

“Day One was a huge success,” said Schoonmaker. “Just to see the faces of the staff and students as they came in, made all of the work over the last 10 years - the gratification of being a part of it, and seeing it come through to fruition -- awesome.”

Built with student safety and state-of-the-art academic spaces in mind, “...it’s laid out more like a college atmosphere,” than the former NBHS, Schoonmaker said.

“Everything is built around safety now,” including the main entrance lobby, Schoonmaker continued. “But once you get into the building, everything is around the flow; and where classrooms are aligned, with the cafeteria and the media center being the main focal points for kids to gather where they can be comfortable and work in very healthy environments. QA+M Architecture and [principal architect] Rusty Malik have just been magical to work with.”

Designed by Quisenberry Arcari Malik (QA+M) Architecture (Farmington), the two-phase project which will complete NBHS is designed to accomodate 524 high school students within an approximately 108,000 square-foot school building. Gilbane Building Company (Glastonbury) is providing project construction, which will now enter Phase 2.

Entering the New Academic Building

Main office and guidance offices inside the new NHBS main entrance lobby lead to entrances that open to scaled-up student common spaces, including two stories of glass fronting the atrium-style cafeteria. The cafeteria includes a mix of traditional table seating, stretches of banquette benches and small gathering spaces with comfortable seating. The food service servery edges the space at one end while a large screen media display is at the other.

Throughout the main floor, natural stone and tile on walls and in restrooms in shades of gray and white mix with a palette of pale T-Bird purple touches. Pendant and other striking lighting fixtures are also featured in the building.

Adjacent to the cafeteria is the Media Center’s main entrance. Also constructed with a two-story room height scale, the center include state-of-the art components such its separate Maker Space lab. In addition to main tables and seating within the low sets of book stacks, there’s a sprinkling of cafe-style high top seating and other comfortable seating, such as comfortable benches arranged in a gathering space, as well as small open classroom/lecture area.

Walls of windows on the second floor look down into the media center and cafeteria. The second floor is one of two floors of classrooms in the new academic building, including the third floor. The second floor also includes a connecting hallway which links up with North Branford Auditorium and related music classrooms.

Stairway access and ADA elevator access lead to upper floors. Classrooms include large windows for natural lighting and traditional desk-and-chair seating with state-of-the-art media for lectures and lessons. Some classrooms have transitional walls which can open to link rooms. Art, science and other lab spaces are also state-of-the art. T-Bird purple chairs, hallway lockers, and even edging on overhead lighting fixtures in classroom hallways, all add to the punctuation of purple floor tiles and wall paint threading through classroom floors.

Schoonmaker said NBHS students toured the building last week to see the classrooms before settling in for the remainder of the academic year as of April 17.

“That’s where you get your energy from, when you see the kids in the building,” Schoonmaker said. “That’s why we did this, and the community was amazing in supporting it and being a part of it. And now, we’re waiting for the next phase.”

With all classes and academic programming now moved into the new building, the remaining segment of the former NBHS at back will be torn down to clear the way for Phase 2 building to complete the project. Demolition will begin May 1 with the grounds anticipated to be cleared by this summer, so that foundation construction work can begin, said Schoonmaker. The second phase is anticipated to take 16 months to complete.

Phase 2 will include a two-story building with academic spaces, gymnasium, locker rooms and other support spaces. Site improvements will include new parking lots, grading, practice field, lighting, new utilities, new driveways and landscaping. Several additional goals currently in discussion include the hope to install a synthetic turf athletic field and to bring in a small, stand-alone building for advanced manufacturing career education.

Schoonmaker was also there to greet the public during the NBPS tour hours of 6 - 8 p.m. at the newly situated school campus that night. The front of the new academic building faces North Branford Intermediate School and is situated alongside North Branford Auditorium.

“When you put a facility like this up, people know that you value education; and that’s something that I think is a big shot in the arm for our community,” said Schoonmaker. “When you walk on this middle school campus now with the auditorium and the high school, it’s spectacular.”

The total NBHS project cost of $70,331,996 will boil down to a Town cost of $59 million, after 43.93% state reimbursement of total eligible costs.

Town Manager Michael Downes also greeted community members arriving to tour the new building on April 17. He reminisced about the many years of debate and discussion which ultimately resulted in the Town Council’s commitment to build the new NBHS.

“Not just back when I was on the council 20 years ago, but going back to high school when I was in the old building, there was constant talk of it,” said Downes. “So finally seeing it come together, and being as magnificent as it is just in Phase 1, is really gratifying to see.”

Downes also credited the collaborative effort of many involved in bringing the project to fruition.

“It was a huge collaboration of a lot of people who are all stakeholders in it - residents, parents, kids, the Board of Ed; all the great volunteers on the Permanent Project Committee and of course, largely, the Town Council,” said Downes. “I think we really heard the need and responded. I’m thrilled with what we have here.”