Stewardship of Our Campus Berkshire Country Day School’s Master Facilities Plan
Stewardship of Our Campus Berkshire Country Day School’s Master Facilities Plan November 2011
E x cerp t f ro m 2009 Str ateg i c Pl an:
Berkshire Country Day School seeks to improve and steward BCD’s campus resources to accommodate and reflect the quality of BCD’s program.
Berkshire Country Day School’s historic 27-acre campus is one of its most precious resources. Thus, one of the primary goals of our 2009 strategic plan was to “improve and steward BCD’s campus resources to accommodate and reflect the quality of BCD’s program.” With this charge, we proceeded through a master planning process, led by the Buildings and Grounds Committee of our Board, and facilitated by Centerbrook Architects of Centerbrook, Connecticut. Over the course of the 2010-11 school year, Centerbrook Architects interviewed BCD’s faculty and staff, and led a thorough planning process that engaged faculty, alumni, past and present parents, students, and Berkshire community members. With close guidance from the Buildings and Grounds Committee, we developed a 10-year Master Facilities Plan for improving the School’s buildings and campus. The plan recommends that we focus our resources on upgrading the interiors of our historic buildings, increasing their energy efficiency, and preserving and enhancing the campus’s pastoral landscape. The following plan is a blueprint for the ongoing improvement and stewardship of BCD’s treasured campus. Its recommendations represent a set of ideas to be explored as the School moves forward with specific projects. While we realize that the necessity and viability of these projects may change as the BCD program and the world around it evolve, we believe the bulk of the plan will remain applicable, and we are excited that this plan will help preserve Berkshire Country Day School for many more generations of students.
Paul Lindenmaier Head of School
Eric Wilska Mark Smith Co-Chair Co-Chair Buildings and Grounds Buildings and Grounds Committee Committee
Master Plan Project Team
B erkshire C o u ntry Day S cho o l,
2010-11 and 2011-12 Buildings and
Administratio n:
Grounds Comm it t ee :
Paul Lindenmaier, Head of School Carmen Dockery Perkins, Associate Head of School Paul Frantz, Associate Head of School
Mark Smith, Co-Chair Eric Wilska, Co-Chair John Bianchi Larry Bingham Lisa Ciejek Paul Frantz Mary King Paul Lindenmaier Claire Naylor-Pollart Tom O’Neil Tyler Weld
2 010-11 a nd 2011-12 B o a rd o f Trust ees:
Arch it ec t:
Claire Naylor-Pollart, President Marilyn Cromwell Chris Ferrone Theodore Glockner ’82 Maureen Hennessey David Hosokawa Dr. Lisa Kantor Paul Lindenmaier Robin McGraw Tom O’Neil Paige Smith Orloff Sarah Pitcher-Hoffman Marianna Poutasse Laura Rotenberg Laurie Schiff Jenney Smith Mark Smith Kevin Sprague ’81 Eleanore Velez Cara Vermeulen Eric Wilska
Centerbrook Architects and Planners, LLC Centerbrook, CT James C. Childress, FAIA, Partner Peter C. Majewski, AIA, LEED BD&C, Associate Mec h anical Enginee rs:
Kohler Ronan, LLC Danbury, CT John E. Kohler, PE Code Consultant: Philip R. Sherman, PE
A Brief History of Berkshire Country Day School
Berkshire Country Day School was founded in 1946 by a group of parents who saw a need for an independent, co-educational elementary school where children could receive individual attention in a small classroom setting. Originally, the School was located on the campus of Lenox School for Boys. As both enrollment and programming grew, so too did the need for larger quarters. In 1957, BCD moved to the former Starks home on Walker Street in Lenox, and less than a decade later, to the current Brook Farm campus. The Brook Farm (now a National Register of Historic Places site) was part of the original 1,000-acre Shadowbrook Estate, built by prominent New York businessman Anson Phelps Stokes, who enjoyed it as his summer “cottage� from 1892 to 1896. Subsequent residents and owners in early 20th century included notables such as Mrs. Alfred Gwynne Vanderbuilt and industrialist and philanthropist Andrew Carnegie. In 1922 the New England Province of the Society of Jesus purchased the Shadowbrook estate for use as a seminary, and Brook Farm was passed on to Anson Stokes Jr. Although Shadowbrook burned to the ground in a tragic fire in 1956, Brook Farm survived to become the eventual home of Berkshire Country Day School.
The heart of Brook Farm was its central courtyard, around which were situated: a family residence (now Albright Hall), an ice house (now SESL - Sprague Environmental Science Lab), a donkey shed (now Peseckis Science Hall), the cow barn (now Furey Hall), a stable (now Oakes Hall), and the machinery and equipment barn (now Ryan Hall). Adjacent farm lands were converted to athletic fields when Berkshire Country Day School purchased the property, and a shallow pond was dug for fire safety, swimming and skating. Subsequent changes included the building of the head of school’s house (1972), addition of second floors to Furey, Ryan, and Oakes Halls (1970s), the construction of Fitzpatrick Hall (1996), and the completion of both Peterson Hall and Clemons Hall (1999). Although parcels of the original farm have been sold off over the years, BCD retains a beautiful 27-acre campus. The preservation and enhancement of that historic property is the goal of this Master Facilities Plan.
Twelve Big Ideas
1. Oakes Hall
2. Ryan Hall
Discovery is a major theme of our Lower School program. Our faculty engages and teaches our young students through guided inquiry. To support their efforts, we will design classrooms that enhance each child’s learning experience. Oakes will be completely renovated to create larger, more open classrooms with better lighting and access to the outside. Interior finishes will include natural wood and warm colors, echoing the warmth and unique character of the campus. New bathrooms will be added to both floors. The building will be retrofitted with better insulation and windows, and a more efficient heating system.
Our Upper School curriculum challenges students intellectually and socially, preparing them for secondary school and beyond. As the center of our seventh, eighth and ninth grade programs, Ryan needs to be updated to accommodate the needs of our older students. The renovation will relocate interior walls and stairs, and remove hallway doors for a lighter, more open layout, with more appealing interior finishes and better display areas. The addition of an exterior courtyard will allow for greater access to the outdoors. As with Oakes Hall, this building will receive better insulation and a more efficient heating system.
3. Furey Hall
4. Albright Hall
Located in the center of campus and the current home of our art and music programs, Furey Hall has a pulse of its own and is always a hub of activity. We will take advantage of its central location by transforming the existing music room into our new library and learning commons. New music facilities will be added on the north side of the building. The new library will continue to serve as a classroom to foster the love of reading while providing more sophisticated resources for our students—so that they can more easily engage in collaborative work, pursue independent projects, and develop their skills as 21st century learners.
As the home of admission and administrative offices, nurse, library, and preschool and kindergarten classes, Albright Hall provides a welcoming passageway for visitors, students and families to enter the School, sometimes on a daily basis. We will reorganize the layout to allow for a more welcoming passage into the school. The entrance will be reestablished on the east side of the building facing the Interlaken Road. The library will be moved to Furey Hall—making room for a more welcoming reception area, and new spaces for the admission office and the nurse.
5. Sprague Environmental Science Lab (SESL) This former ice house has an historical charm that feels both intimate and expansive. Now used as the Lower School science classroom, it will be upgraded with new lighting and much-needed insulation to make the space more usable and energy efficient in all seasons.
8. Parking Area By reconfiguring the flow of vehicle and pedestrian traffic here, and by establishing additional and more clearly defined parking areas, we will create a more cohesive feeling with the rest of campus, along with easier and safer transitions to and from the school. The existing parking lot will be redesigned, and a faculty parking area will be configured next to Clemons, leaving greater access and space for parents and visitors. We will also shift the entry driveway, aligning it with the new main entrance to Albright, to create a clearer and more visually appealing approach to campus.
6. Site Maintenance
7. Courtyard Landscaping
Just as our campus extends beyond the classrooms, so does the learning of our students. The streams, pathways, trees, and ponds on the property need to be given the same care as our classrooms. Invasive species and overgrowth will be cleared, wooded areas will be tended, and pathways will be maintained to ensure optimum stewardship, use, and beauty.
Come rain, snow, or sunshine, our students are in constant motion. The School recognizes that the transitional spaces on campus – walkways, courtyards, and play spaces – need to be intentionally designed. The plan recommends walkways be improved, courtyards and play spaces maintained, and new gathering spaces created to support the connections within our community.
9. Peterson Hall
10. Peseckis Science Lab
As one of our newer buildings, Peterson requires fewer updates than most of the other structures. We will update the ventilation system and renovate classrooms to provide for the current and future Middle School program.
Upper and Middle School science classrooms and labs in this building will be further modernized to enhance each learning environment. The work will include reconfiguring the spaces to add vestibules near the entrances, a restroom, and better storage areas.
11. Fitzpatrick Hall
12. Clemons Hall
Another hub and important gathering space, Fitzpatrick Hall brings our community together for a wide variety of purposes: graduation, physical education classes, assemblies, and Thanksgiving Soup, among others. To better support the varied use of this space, we will improve the acoustics, lighting, and kitchen facilities. We will also upgrade the locker rooms.
The wood shop, ceramics program, and the maintenance department reside in this building. We will add much-needed shop and classroom utility sinks, as well as bathroom facilities.
Acknowledgements C enterbro o k Architect s and Planners, LL C
Photography: j o hn do la n, Am y E lmo re, Eric Korenman
Illustration: C enterbro o k Architect s
Editor: Am y E lmo re
Where you belong.