Independent Schools

Northwest Catholic High School – Campus Master Plan

West Hartford, CT

Established in 1961, Northwest Catholic High School (NWC) is a premier, college preparatory school of choice with an approximate enrollment of 530 students. Their mission statement is to educate the whole person: mind, body, spirit, and imagination.

Campus facilities include one main academic building, a detached convent/annex (which is rented to a third party), a school for special education, one library, a 700 seat proscenium theater, a 250 seat black box theater, two gymnasiums, two multi-purpose grass fields, a practice field with partial gravel track, and baseball and softball fields on slightly more than 20 acres.

In 2018, DRA was engaged by NWC for a comprehensive update of their campus master plan. The intent was to re-examine campus needs in conjunction with a new Five-Year Strategic Plan and a long-term comprehensive development plan for the school as an institution. The Master Plan looks beyond the existing campus and curricular offerings to explore opportunities for growth including partnering with other institutions, development of student support services, and expansion of the grade alignment.

Along with educational, physical, and student developmental considerations, DRA was tasked with identifying and providing for sustainable construction and green use of the campus; design and deferred maintenance costs; property acquisitions; a unified architectural aesthetic and design; interior design considerations that speak to their mission and legacy; maximization of green spaces, and practical needs; and, safety planning and educational design.