A NEW DESTINATION

Tailored to the character of its South Coast community and its ambitious vision for contemporary education, the new Westport Middle-High School’s innovative ‘butterfly’ plan deploys four academic wings functioning as small-scale learning communities off an efficient centralized core. The 2-story, 185,000-square-foot school combines a middle and high school zoned in the four wings serving grades 5 through 12.

The brick chosen for the project's extended front facade and public-facing elevations consists of The Belden Brick Company’s utility and quad 470-479 Medium Range Smooth. The brick was manufactured with a series of false joint units scored and blended in various patterns and designed to be laid in 2-story panels to increase efficiency by minimizing detailing intrusions of lintels and flashings. The brick panels are set in rhythm with 2-story classroom bay windows.

The masterful use of materials, details, and value-focused planning resulted in a community asset that projects design excellence and energy efficiency while representing the lowest cost per square foot and with great success. The results will speak for themselves for decades to come.