At the forefront of Industry 4.0 education, Diman Regional Vocational Technical High School will prepare students for a future with smart and autonomous systems fueled by data and machine learning. Although a leading educational program, it is constrained by an outdated and undersized 55-year-old facility.
KBA was commissioned by the school district to conduct a feasibility study to identify potential long-term solutions. Multiple solutions were developed and reviewed for their ability to provide a learning environment to support the more advanced program. Ultimately, it was determined a new facility would best provide the necessary learning environment and be the most fiscally responsible option for member communities.
The new facility is designed to be an academic incubator, a key goal developed early during the District’s educational visioning stage. The school will serve 1,500 students and provide 19 DESE Chapter 74 programs. It will offer opportunities for academic collaboration and collaboration among the academic and Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs.
The building is organized around a vertical spine connecting a collaborative trade hall wing, student commons, and an academic innovation lab. The building’s exposed mechanical systems, utilities, and structural systems can also be used as a teaching tool. The building will utilize the site’s elevation changes to provide a compact, high-performance, and highly efficient envelope with a geothermal heating/cooling system projected to exceed the current energy code by more than 20 percent.
The new facility is anticipated to begin construction in 2023.