Some projects improve a building. Others reshape how an institution functions.
At Greenwich Academy, the transformation of the northern half of the campus at 200 North Maple Avenue was about far more than new construction. It was about rethinking circulation, gathering space, infrastructure, and daily experience in a way that supports the school’s mission for decades to come.
For more than 30 years, Redniss & Mead has partnered with Greenwich Academy across multiple phases of campus growth. That long-term relationship created deep familiarity with the site and its infrastructure, which proved essential as the Academy moved forward with a comprehensive campus initiative between 2018 and 2021.
The Master Plan in Motion
The initiative included construction of a new standalone Lower School building, renovation of and addition to the Middle School, development of a Visual Arts Center, redesign of the Harrison Courtyard, and reconstruction of the North Parking Lot. All work was completed while school remained fully operational.
Redniss & Mead served as civil engineer across the campus improvements, guiding site planning, infrastructure strategy, municipal coordination, and construction phase support. Close collaboration with the architectural and construction teams allowed technical decisions to align with design intent while maintaining schedule discipline.
Reimagining the Harrison Courtyard
At the center of campus, the Harrison Courtyard had long functioned as a sunken space surrounded by active buildings and layered infrastructure.
Delivering the new design required careful engineering judgment. The courtyard sits at a low point, and hidden beneath the surface are multiple utility connections to the surrounding buildings, including a sanitary sewer network directly impacted by the project. Redniss & Mead developed a comprehensive drainage approach, precise grading to support the complex horizontal geometry and a 23-foot elevation change, and a full utility and sewer redesign within an active campus setting.
Rethinking Arrival and Dismissal
The North Parking Lot serves as the primary pickup and drop-off area for the school. The redesign expanded on-site queue capacity, maintained circulation for non-pickup vehicles, and improved pedestrian safety during peak periods. Approximately half of the pavement was installed as porous asphalt to promote on-site stormwater infiltration and reduce reliance on municipal infrastructure.
A Partnership That Continues
The Lower School transformation represents one chapter in a long-standing collaboration. That depth of knowledge now informs planning for a new 50-acre satellite campus in Greenwich, working alongside Sasaki as master planner to guide future development.
At Greenwich Academy, engineering has done more than support construction. It has helped shape how the campus functions, how it adapts, and how it prepares for the future.
