Marine Science Magnet High School of Southeastern Connecticut

GROTON, CT

The Marine Science Magnet High School was founded on a simple but ambitious mission: to prepare students for marine-related careers and higher education through experiential learning, industry partnerships and hands-on exploration. Rather than replicating a traditional high school model, LEARN—the Regional Educational Service Center and developer of the program—envisioned a school where educational experiences would extend beyond the classroom, connecting students directly with the people, places and industries that shape southeastern Connecticut’s shoreline communities.

Realizing that vision began with planning. Working closely with LEARN, educators and an extensive network of partners—including Mystic Aquarium, Mystic Seaport Museum, UConn Avery Point, the Connecticut Maritime Coalition and regional marine industries—JCJ led a collaborative visioning and programming process that brought together diverse perspectives around a shared goal.

Through listening, discussion and discovery, the planning process established guiding principles for a school where students would:

Learn through direct partnerships with higher education, industry and community organizations.
Move seamlessly between classroom instruction and hands-on experience.
Work in environments that reflect research laboratories, marine industries and higher education.
Take ownership of their learning, their work and their school.
Those principles shaped all the planning and design decisions that followed.

Site selection identified a seven-acre parcel positioned between residential neighborhoods and research and manufacturing facilities, reinforcing the school’s connection to both community and industry. Rather than relying on nautical themes, the architecture draws its identity from Groton’s working waterfront, with massing, materials and industrial character inspired by the shipyards and marine industries that define the region.
Inside, the building was organized around the school’s distinctive “wet day” and “dry day” learning model, allowing students to alternate between classroom instruction and hands-on experiences with faculty and industry partners.

Marine Science Magnet High School of Southeastern Connecticut

The second-floor Home Base provides an agile, flexible environment that adapts to a wide variety of activities and learning needs.

By linking a range of spatial experiences and creating a continuous flow throughout the building, spaces traditionally devoted to circulation become active parts of the learning environment, supporting collaboration, project-based learning, informal interaction and independent study.