The fifth session of O&G Builds at Norton Elementary School in Cheshire gave students an inside look at the design and engineering work that shapes their new school long before construction begins.
Students met with members of the project’s design and engineering team, including Laurel Boroughf AIA, Project Architect, and Anna Petronio, Registered Interior Designer from Tecton Architects; Nancy Levesque P.E., Civil Engineer of Alfred Benesch & Company; Damayanti Chaudhuri P.E., Structural Engineer of Michael Horton Associates; and Daniella Dizenzo P.E., Mechanical Engineer, Renato Martins P.E., Electrical Engineer and Francisco Duraes P.E., Mechanical Engineer from Kohler Ronan. Together, they showed how collaboration across disciplines turns ideas into a fully built school.
Laurel from Tecton walked students through the phases of design, from early meetings with the Town of Cheshire to the detailed drawings now guiding construction and tied the process back to the virtual reality model students explored earlier in the program with O&G’s VDC Manager, Nick Castler. Anna from Tecton explained how input from students, teachers, and administrators helped shape the school’s woods and trails theme, ensuring the building reflects its community.
Nancy from Benesch shared how her team designs everything outside the building, from roads and parking to utilities and drainage. Students were especially excited to learn that civil engineers help design the playground. She also discussed the geothermal wells that connect to the building’s mechanical systems, after a student asked about them.
From Michael Horton Associates, Damayanti explained how BIM 3D modeling is used to design a structure that can safely resist both vertical and lateral forces. Students also learned that portions of the structure were intentionally left exposed as a learning opportunity.
The session concluded with Kohler Ronan, whose engineers described how they design the building’s mechanical, electrical, plumbing, fire protection, and technology systems. They also highlighted energy-saving features such as lighting systems that adjust based on daylight.
To wrap up the day, students broke into small groups for a site tour and an I-Spy activity, identifying real-life examples of the design and engineering elements they had just learned about. These ever curious students asked thoughtful questions, took notes, and eagerly connected classroom learning to what they could see around them.
Session five of O&G Builds gave students a deeper appreciation for the creativity, problem-solving, and teamwork required to design a school that supports learning for years to come. We are grateful to our project partners for their time, expertise, and commitment to making the O&G Builds program a meaningful and inspiring experience for students.
