2025 East Best Projects
Award of Merit, K-12 Education: Concord Academy - Centennial Arts Center
Concord Academy - Centennial Arts Center
Concord, Mass.
Award of Merit
Submitted by Windover Construction
Owner: Concord Academy
Lead Design Firm: Dewing Schmid Kearns Architects + Planners
Construction Manager: Windover Construction
Civil Engineer: Oak Consulting Group
Structural/MEP Engineer: Rist-Frost Shumway
Theater Consultant: Martin Vinik Planning for the Arts
Subcontractors: Associated Concrete; Cataldo Landscape & Masonry; Constitutional Roofing; Dulac Concrete Foundations Inc.; Field Services Team; Hampshire Fire Protection; Lundy; Middlesex Masonry; Nardone Electrical Corp.
The 37,000-sq-ft facility features a state-of-the-art theater as well as music and AV systems, all expertly designed, coordinated and installed to create an optimal environment for practice and performance.
Achieving the theater’s precise acoustical performance required flawless construction execution. From custom-made theater seats from Belgium to recital room panels imported from Sweden, every component had to be installed to exact specifications.
Meticulous coordination continued throughout the recital hall, which features tiered seating, baffle ceilings, acoustic panels, HVAC ductwork and custom millwork.
Photo courtesy Windover Construction
Before construction could begin, the team faced a significant challenge in dewatering the site, located just 75 yards from the Sudbury River. More than 60,000 gallons of water were pumped off site each day in a continuous operation to prevent immediate re-saturation.
With an intensive waterproofing membrane package for foundations and constant monitoring of the dewatering process, the team was able to put a durable foundation in place to support the $29.6-million facility.
