West Haven, CT

The terraced site design creatively navigates a 35-foot grade change to integrate circulation, outdoor spaces, and connections to the adjacent urban community and the University of New Haven campus.

The Engineering & Science University Magnet School, a Grade 6 through 12 STEM school, is a unique, collaborative project that is administered by New Haven Public Schools while being located in the Town of West Haven and integrated into the University of New Haven main campus. Richter & Cegan developed a terraced site plan on the compact urban site that has over 30 feet of grade change, skillfully integrating all the required site circulation and service elements without sacrificing outdoor learning opportunities and spaces.

The 5-story building is nestled into the sloping site to take advantage of the challenging topography. Site features include a courtyard, an outdoor classroom, a wetland overlook, and areas for potential future outdoor classrooms and student gardens. The terraced site plan incorporates connections to the adjacent University of New Haven to further encourage students to learn and explore at a higher level, and is completely accessible despite grading challenges and constraints.