Manchester Memorial Elementary School

Manchester Essex Regional School District’s new Manchester Memorial Elementary School was completed and welcomed students at the end of 2021. The new 77,000-sf space, built to replace the existing building from 1951, was constructed in phases on while the students & faculty occupied the existing building. The use of natural resources and colors reflects the surrounding environment of marsh lands and the ocean. 

 

Navigating Floodplains and Regulations with Precision
Samiotes provided civil engineering and permitting expertise across all MSBA modules, helping the District navigate an environmentally complex site bordered on three sides by Riverfront, wetlands, intermittent streams, and a 100-year floodplain. The design met or exceeded standard regulatory requirements, accommodating both FEMA and locally defined flood elevations while maintaining a phased construction schedule. Key solutions included:

• A high-capacity infiltration system roughly the size of the school’s parking lot to manage stormwater effectively

• Bioswales and a rain garden designed to treat runoff and promote natural recharge

• A permitting approach that addressed peak runoff and water quality across all phases of construction

• Coordination with multiple agencies to meet both state and town-specific floodplain and wetland protection standards

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Samiotes' thoughtful and adaptive strategies helped transform a challenging site into a welcoming and sustainable learning environment for the Manchester-by-the-Sea school and community.