A Reflection on Heritage: The rennovated Preschool Building

A REFLECTION ON HERITAGE :

THE RENNOVATED PRESCHOOL BUILDING

At IC, maintaining heritage while moving forward has always been a major theme throughout the years. So many beloved alumni look back at the school and often tell us that there’s always something new, but it’s still the same IC they have fond memories of. The Ras Beirut campus has had all sorts of additions, developments, and changes with the addition of modern buildings and classroom resources in the last several years. But at the very same time, the oldest buildings of IC still remain intact, showcasing a blend between history and modernity all in one place. In particular, the remodel of the old kindergarten building into a new preschool facility has sparked an important discussion and reflection into the history and essence of IC.

This preschool building used to be the old elementary school. It was originally the refectory planned by the first principle of IC, William H. Hall, and its construction was completed in 1913, as a gift from Rockefeller. The top floor was a cafeteria for boarding students, up until the 1980s. Even day school students used to eat here if they didn’t eat at home. After the war and the end of the boarding program, the old elementary became the preschool building and stayed that way until this new renovation.

In 2019, IC proposed a structural remodel to the beloved preschool building at the same time the Sawwaf and Mikati buildings were being built. As the school grows bigger, alongside needs for improved spaces and resources, this project presented an important opportunity for the existing building to serve the needs for teachers and students.

But a major challenge at the forefront of the construction project was figuring out a way to preserve the heritage of a historic campus building that generations of IC students and faculty had grown up in, and learned to love. As the years have passed at IC, there have been several additions to the campus at the cost of also cutting into older structures and segments of the beloved greenery. This preschool building was situated in a space composed of greenery, and its facade holds the shape of a beautiful, traditional Lebanese building.

Initially, the original plan considered demolishing the current building and replacing it entirely with a new structure. IC refused to do this, as the school didn’t want to touch the historical buildings. Eventually, a compromise was made.

“We agreed with the architects that they will keep the shell from outside, and demolish everything inside, and build it according to the latest specs” says Mufid Beydoun, Vice President of Alumni Affairs.

And with that, construction commenced. The old pre-school has maintained its structural integrity while having entirely remodeled the inside with the newest facilities and additions.

For Mrs. Ghada Madhoun, IC alumnus and the current Director of Preschool, the remodel of this building was necessary, but still serves the purpose of maintaining IC’s heritage. Mrs. Madhoun was in this very building when she was in preschool. She even became a preschool teacher, and taught in these very classrooms. Something significant that she pointed out to me was the trees in this current space.

“These are the same trees I used to see when I was a kid. They made sure they preserved them with all the machinery and construction.” she tells me.

Many alumni reminisce about the greenery they used to have on campus. And on that note, preservation of the trees around the preschool reconstruction became a priority.

“They renovated the playground. They made sure they would water the trees and make sure the trees have enough space during the renovation and the construction. IC is making an effort to keep the greenery. For example, this is one of the oldest trees in Beirut.”, she remarks. This tree in particular is fascinating, given that it has been preserved and taken care of for generations. “And this is why there’s a fence and there was a donor to make sure it was fenced during the construction of the spot”, Mrs. Madhoun adds.

When it comes to the internal remodel, Mrs. Madhoun emphasized that the changes implemented have improved the facilities altogether for teachers and students.

As a former preschool teacher and now director, she can vouch for the changes made. For example, the sizes of the classrooms and the new spaces for theatre, music, art, and dance have been significant shifts.

“There are well equipped art rooms. A psychomotor area; we have a sensory room, music and art rooms that used to be containers. We have spaces for the learning centers, we didn’t have that before. We have work areas for the teachers, maker space, and a huge library.”

“My classroom was considered one of the largest classes. Now when they remodeled the interior, it’s now two classes!”

Mrs. Madhoun tells me that it was always part of the plan to reconstruct the old preschool for an updated space. In conjunction with this, the new Sawwaf building also used for preschool next door holds wonderful classrooms and facilities that are vital for a young age group. The old building maintained the same facade on the outside; it’s just the inside that’s a whole lot different.

Maintaining excellence while constantly growing towards the vision of providing education for the children of our future has not changed. Acknowledging one’s roots and staying consistent to values is necessary, but also moving forward where there is room for progress and updated resources is essential to improvement and maintaining educational standards.

New Music Room

“This is what’s nice about IC,” Mrs. Madhoun states. “It is a leading school but it connects to the past. Whether it’s in the architecture, whether it’s in the way of how to keep up with the mission and vision of the school, the heritage, the traditions that we have, the type of expectations and the values that we have; this has not changed.”

This preschool building is a great example of this. While it maintains the historical architectural facade on the outside as a symbol of IC’s heritage, the inside has been reshaped to the highest quality of resources for students and teachers alike for education today. As in the words of Mrs. Madhoun, “The goal was to preserve anything that needed to be preserved and we needed to cater to the goal of being leaders of tomorrow.”

Additionally, talking to involved IC parents who were also alumni has also brought perspective on the dialogue of heritage and growth. Abir Bawarshi, current head of the parents committee, graduated from IC in 1998. Along with her is parent committee member Dalia Ghawi, who graduated from IC in 2004.

Both parents tell me that for them, IC has always been such a prominent part of their life, and returning back to campus with kids of their own has allowed them to see all the new growth alongside comforting familiarity that is this community and school. Furthermore, being involved in parent leadership and watching the school grow and develop has made them feel like they’ve never left IC.

During their years as students, Abir and Dalia were also in the very same preschool building.

“They used to feed us manoushe and hot chocolate. They would spread mattresses and we would sleep. There was sleeping time at IC. that happened in nursery, KG 1 and KG 2. This is a fond memory”, Abir noted, when asked about what she remembered from her years in this building. She also fondly recalls the old preschool guard, Abu Ayman. “He was popular at the time, he knew every kid’s name”.

For returning alumni as parents, IC’s still feels like home with a bit of change. “It’s a melange of the old IC campus with a tinge of modernization”, Dalia remarks. Though many alumni miss the old spaces and greenery, changes to IC aren’t necessarily negative. When asking Dalia what she personally thought about the preschool remodel, her response was positive. “I actually like it”, Dalia states. “My daughter was in KG 2 last year. The classes were really spacious”. As Miss Madhoun mentioned before, the issue of space was a significant shift for teachers and students in the classroom, but even parents have picked up on the change as well with praise.

Throughout all of the moments of history and change in Lebanon, IC has had its own stories and moments to look back on. “That building has been home to several generations. And each unique timing. It survived a civil war. Each generation has a different story”, Dalia says. Given the changes in Lebanon the last few years, the current generation of IC students will also be looking back at their years here and having their own stories and memories to share. In the midst of crises before, and even today, IC has always managed to maintain itself and be both a safe space and home for its students, parents, and staff. “These times too shall pass”, Abir expresses, as she believes that the presence of IC in difficult times has always provided hope.

Metaphorically speaking, this preschool building remodel symbolically represents the essence of IC; maintaining tradition and values, but moving forward and growing. Architecture always tells a story, and the mix of old structures and new buildings weaved amongst each other is a part of IC’s ongoing narrative. The architecture of the campus reflects the past and long standing history through a mix of heritage buildings, while also portraying growth for future generations by all of these new additions. As put perfectly by Abir, “old and new meet here. It’s the best of two worlds.”