The New Basseterre High School (BHS) is a secondary-level educational facility, located on 13.93 acres of land at Pond’s Estate in the city of Basseterre, St. Kitts. The architecture’s main purpose is to provide a “holistic learning environment for the 21st century school student.” To that end the project comprises of several key and auxiliary elements in order to propagate the social and professional relationships required for both the academic and physical development of its students, teachers and staff. The physical envelope as per the approved design concept has a roof area of 105,006 sq ft. with a covered floor area of 159,621 sq.ft. spread over three floor levels. This concept shall be developed to reflect a finalized design that provides for adequate spatial efficiency and maximum program functionality. Additionally, the project has been engineered in such a way so as to minimize, as much as is feasibly possible, its carbon footprint in order to address  the ever evolving benchmarks for proper energy consumption and conservation.

 

Several of the key elements included to achieve the aforementioned objectives are: 

 

• A 1200 person minimum seating capacity Auditorium & Stage, built for purpose.

• A dedicated Security Hub.

• 32 Classrooms, each with a maximum capacity of 30 students at 29 sq.ft. per student. (This means a maximum capacity of 960 students.)

• A Music Center comprising of two dedicated Music Rooms.

• Four Science labs.

• Six Computer Labs.

• A Dedicated Lecture Room.

• Five dedicated Vocational Workshops.

• A playing field and running track sized to meet international standards as well as other various hard-court sports such as Basketball, Netball, etc.

    

Several of the auxiliary elements included are:

 

•     Bleachers for the viewing of sports on the playing field and for general social interaction.

•     A main partially-enclosed courtyard with trees and seating.

•     A Library.

•     A Resource Center.

•     Teachers’ Lounges.

•     Counselling and Health Service Facilities.

 

All floors and rooms are accessible for wheelchair egress via code compliant ramps, and

amenities are handicap compliant, where necessary as per regulation. It should also be

noted that all sewage produced on-site will be directed to an adjacent offsite location for state-of-

the-art biological treatment and subsequent disposal of the resultant effluent.

 

The overall design and construction of the project shall comply with the ‘Development

Control and Planning Act’ of St. Christopher & Nevis and its appended ‘Building Code’.