One of the features of the new Upper School is a system of geothermal wells that will use the constant temperature of the earth below ground to heat and cool the building. The drilling of these wells is a major component of the project. In all, there will 120 wells around the building, averaging about 600 feet in depth.
Drilling these wells is loud work. The original construction timetable called for that work to take place over 18 weeks in the spring of 2025. But our contractor recently presented us with the opportunity to reduce the duration of the work to six weeks, thanks to the unexpected availability of three additional drilling rigs.
To take advantage of the opportunity, drilling work will begin on October 28 and, barring an unforeseen issue, will be completed by December 9. An added benefit of this project acceleration is that the drilling will coincide with the demolition of the east (37th Street) side of the building, which is set to begin on October 21 and end by Thanksgiving.
In all, this change will reduce the total duration of loud, project-related noise to six weeks from the original expectation of more than five months—one month for building demolition and four months for well drilling.
There will be no work, either drilling or demolition, on Thanksgiving or the Friday after.
We appreciate your understanding as we move through this process. The new Upper School, which has been designed to meet LEED Gold certification, will significantly reduce our school’s carbon usage. As an added long-term benefit, the geothermal system will eliminate the need for roof-top cooling towers and the constant noise they create.