Renovations Underway as the New Year Arrives
The School campus has been far from deserted this summer—even without the buzz of student activity! Crews of workmen, accompanied by some serious heavy machinery, have been hard at work, undertaking several major capital project improvements throughout the summer months.
Two highly visible and well-used areas will have an all-new look—the living room and lobby area of the Boys’ Dorm and the passageway and restroom facilities off the Upper School lobby. The Boys’ Dorm work brings to fruition a systematic, six-year project that included upgrades to the main shower/restroom facilities on each wing and significant improvements in air quality throughout the building. This summer, the dorm living room and lobby area have been getting a major makeover, including modernizing the mechanical systems and refreshing the furnishings, with completion expected by the first day of classes.
In the Upper School academic building, the former Head of School’s Office is being transformed into an “innovation” room for students and faculty to use for focused, in-depth exploration and study. Once the state-of-the-art technology is fully installed later this fall, the room will be capable of using video streaming to bring in experts and others from anywhere in the world to help teach classes and provide other interactive learning opportunities. For example, the new Senior Seminar, which focuses on world leadership, will likely meet often in this new 21st-Century Classroom.
In addition, the “loft area,” or mezzanine floor, above the Upper School lobby is being revamped and repurposed to house administrative offices and meeting spaces that are flexible and equipped for digital communications technology.
“All these projects are part of a master plan, which is regularly re-evaluated” for cost, relevance, and priority, explains Scott Gerber (US’70), manager of capital projects. In the majority of cases, he explains, the refurbished appearance of these new spaces has largely been driven by the need to replace and upgrade electrical, plumbing, and HVAC fixtures and systems that date from the initial construction of the Principia campus, some 50 years ago. With the ensuing wear and tear, as well as the stricter codes and more efficient materials of recent decades, such changes are both timely and cost efficient for Principia.
Other areas of the School sporting a refreshed and updated look, but without extensive structural or capital work, include the back tennis courts, which have just been resurfaced in a vibrant blue and green. Both the Upper School library and the dining room are benefiting from new, flexible, long-lasting furniture. Having light, modular tables and chairs on wheels in the library means that the various open spaces, as well as nooks and crannies, can quickly be transformed for small- or large-group work and discussion sessions. Judy Barker, who heads the library and media facilities, is extremely appreciative of the new furniture. It not only makes the library more inviting and user-friendly, she says, but enables the library staff to respond quickly to a variety of usage requests, without having to call in a team from Facilities to do the “heavy lifting.”
The virtues of similarly flexible furniture and fixtures have already been demonstrated in Middle and Upper School classrooms over the past few years. For instance, Middle School mathematicians are able to work on problems collectively on a large wall covered with washable “idea paint,” and new whiteboards, smart boards, and connectivity allow teachers to make the best use of educational technology.
To ensure that Principia students benefit from new learning technologies and approaches, Gerber works closely with Architectural Services Coordinator John Barthelmess. Just last fall, their efforts resulted in the bright and by now well-used Middle School Center as well as the inviting and functional entrance lobby and office space for the Middle School.
We look forward to welcoming students and faculty back to these highly functional and inviting spaces.