Accessed by a narrow road that snakes up the 950’ trap rock ridge, the 20-acre campus, with sweeping views of Hartford and the Berkshire Mountains, is located on a former Nike missile radar site. It is composed of four academic and administrative buildings, several smaller structures housing astronomical equipment, a sundial and observation deck, and woodlands with unique ecosystems and microhabitats. At 98-seats, its 44-foot, tilted-dome planetarium is the largest in Connecticut. Astronaut Alan Bean, the fourth person to walk on the moon, was a supporter, and his lunar paintings grace the school’s walls.

Centerbrook’s master plan reconfigures the main entrance of the campus, moving it from the middle to its edge, with a new administrative and admissions building imagined. Two modest, government-issue buildings would be removed to make way for a large, shared, safe outdoor learning green replete with bioswales to capture impervious stormwater runoff, pollinator gardens, and playing fields. Two classroom buildings would receive selective renovations to promote hands-on learning.

In addition, a new multi-purpose building, dug into the hillside with commanding views, would serve as a flexible armature for the arts, dining, presentations, and special events. Renewable power generation would be augmented with photovoltaics and a wind turbine, advancing TMSC’s commitment to sustainability as an early adopter of solar-hot water systems. This vision, it is hoped, will both extend innovative program offerings and take full advantage of the dramatic mountaintop site.