What Is It? Can You Guess the Purpose of This Structure Next to New High School?

A lot of people have been asking, what is that two-story rectangular structure on site of the new North Middlesex Regional High School?  Guesses have included:

• An elevator shaft
• A booth for a parking lot attendant
• A scoreboard and announcer’s booth for a football field

CTA’s Project Executive Jeff Hazelwood provides us the answer:  It’s a mock up.

He explains:

“It is typical on construction projects.  A mock up is built to mimic the sequence of installation for exterior building components (concrete foundation, metal framing, sheathing, air/vapor barrier, masonry, precast concrete, stonework, windows, curtain wall, doors, roofing, sealants, etc.) so that all of the intricate details are reviewed, potentially modified and agreed upon by the General Contractor, Architect and Owner’s Project Manager before the actual installation starts on the building itself.  Think of it as working out potential conflicts between the complex exterior building systems in advance so there are little to no issues when we install them on the actual building.  It also provides an opportunity to view the exterior materials, colors, features and finishes to get a sense of the final product.”