Steel erection and cross-laminated timber (CLT) have officially started on our new Gilder Center Project at Northfield Mount Hermon. Cross-laminated timber is a wood panel product made from gluing together layers of solid-sawn lumber. CLT is a prefabricated panel that is used to construct environmentally sustainable floors, walls and roofs on a variety of structures.

Great coverage of our South High Community School project in the City of Worcester. 2020 has seen no shortage of challenges, but we are proud to be on-schedule and under-budget for this tremendous $172 million, 360,000 SF project. Thank you to our partners Lamoureux Pagano Associates and CBRE l HEERY! *Photo Courtesy of MassLive

The first half of 2020 has seen no shortage of challenges. Fontaine has been inspired by what our staff, clients, and project partners have been able to accomplish during these times of uncertainty. While all aspects of life have been impacted and many industries were ordered to close, our construction activities have continued to move forward, safely and efficiently.

The Marlborough Elementary School project consisted of the construction of a new 111,430 SF Elementary School to accommodate a design enrollment of 700+ students in Grades K-5. This project consisted of approximately 25 classrooms, gymnasium, cafetorium and mulit-use areas. The project included site work, hardscape/landscape, foundations, structural steel, building envelope, interior finishes, mechanical systems and is a NE-CHPS v3.1 Project.

On this day (July 22) in 1933, in the middle of the Great Depression (hardly the best time to start a business), two brothers decided to pursue their mutual dream of having their own construction company. Today, we celebrate 87 years in business. For more than eight decades, Fontaine has prospered and become one of the most highly respected builders in New England. While construction technology and our economy have changed so much over the past 87 years, our values as a company have remained true.

Achieving substantial completion during a global pandemic is not easy. While complying with all state and local guidelines, our team was able to complete the construction of the Wilbraham & Monson Academy Athenaeum. In partnership with Flansburgh Architects and David Owen (OPM), this project served as phase one of a multi-phase plan to enhance student life and gathering spaces on the WMA campus. We are thrilled that when students return to their campus, they will be met by warm, welcoming learning spaces.

Have you ever attended a socially distant groundbreaking? With students away from campus due to COVID-19, a small group of campus leaders and project team members kicked off construction of the Gilder Center. This exciting project is going to transform STEM instruction on the NMH campus for years to come. While complying with all state and local guidelines, our team is in the ground and moving ahead on this fast-track project which has a strong eye towards sustainability. In partnership with Flansburgh Architects and CSL Consulting, this project will reflect the school's commitment to sustainability by limiting embodied carbons. The Gilder Center was designed to meet sustainability standards addressed in the “2030 Challenge for Embodied Carbon”. The Challenge includes targets for architects and builders regarding greenhouse gas and carbon footprint reduction. While aiming for LEED Certification, this building will be constructed with slate, granite, and cross-laminated timber, aiding in a more sustainable building instead of the typical concrete, metal, and brick.

As we continue to celebrate Women in Construction Week here at Fontaine, we caught up with Fontaine's Project Manager Rachel Stratford and the leaders from Compass and DRA at the Middleborough High School Project.

Fontaine is kicking off women in construction week 2020 with a luncheon and tour of our Worcester South High School Project Site! This week is to highlight the talented women we have here at Fontaine and to highlight women as a viable component to the construction industry.

This week students at the Balmer Elementary School in Northbridge participated in a multi-day Career Fair. Dozens of adults from the community volunteered to discuss their careers and answer questions from the students. Members of the Fontaine project team and our partners at Guigli & Sons met with students to share our experience in the construction industry. On the first day of the event, the Fontaine project team welcomed third graders and answered many great questions. The view from Classroom 27 was a perfect angle to observe what exactly was happening on the jobsite right outside their windows. The students heard about the importance of teamwork, planning, and organization as well as the many practical applications of math and science. On day two, students had a chance to go outside and check out the machinery and equipment Guigli is using to build their new school! What an amazing learning opportunity for the Balmer Elementary School kids!