The Masters School - Campus Master Plan

The Masters School Campus Master Plan 2017

Dear Friends, More than 2500 years ago, sitting under the shade of the one tree in the town square, Heraclitus declared that, “Change is the only constant in life.” In my imagination, this ancient forebear may have just snagged a sandal on a poorly placed walkway, or spotted a rickety balcony that no longer served its original purpose. Maybe he could see that planting some trees in the town square would encourage people to sit and talk to each other.

Though change may be constant, our awareness of change is not. Every now and then there is a palpable shift in the collective awareness in a community, a dawning understanding that some things have visibly evolved, that needs have changed and that it’s time for us to catch up and even get ahead. We are at that point in time and awareness at The Masters School.

This calls for a Master Plan.

The 21st century is challenging old notions of learning spaces, and research tells us that flexible spaces, technology, proper lighting and collaborative work environments foster deeper thinking and understanding. This emerging paradigm requires us to think carefully about how to better address student learning, support our faculty and programs and adjust our physical plant accordingly.

Inquiry, creative problem-solving and collaboration happen daily across our campus and around our Harkness tables. Student musicians are jamming in Strayer Hall, engineers are building solutions to real-life problems in the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center, artists are creating in their studios, athletes are pushing themselves on the fields and actors are transporting us with their talents.

At Masters, we have been doing this with our might for over 140 years. We owe to that legacy, and to those who have been part of it, nothing less than using our might “to dare, to do” – to plan for the future of our School. With our spectacular location and bountiful property, we have both the potential and the responsibility to safeguard the future of Masters for another 140 years.

We must continue to attract and retain the best teachers, make our buildings accessible to every student and ensure that we have optimal spaces for teaching, learning and connecting.

With this in mind, we have developed the School’s first campus Master Plan, which will serve as a conceptual and flexible road map that will support a long-term vision for our campus while accommodating future academic and mission-aligned priorities. The Master Plan is fully aligned with our Strategic Plan and will provide us with a thoughtful, integrative strategy that considers short- and longterm objectives.

The Master Plan is the result of months of discovery and collaborative feedback provided by the multiple constituencies of the extended Masters community, and was developed by the architectural firm Beyer Blinder Belle. The planning process was guided by a set of principles focused on preserving our historical roots while creating an optimal environment for teaching and learning.

The visionary result provides us with a road map for many years to come. We have focused on the creation of spaces that nourish mindfulness, as well as the enhancement of landscaping for outdoor learning, fitness and recreation. Our plan also incorporates a sustainable focus that will allow us to conserve energy and water, reduce waste and increase recycling across campus.

I am excited about taking this journey together as a community, and hope that this Master Plan allows you to envision a robust and enduring future for our beloved School.

Laura Danforth Head of School

Contents

Master Plan Committee Members Marc Holliday, Chair, Master Plan Committee, P’16 & ‘20 Ed Biddle, Chief Financial Officer Fred Brettschneider P’19 Edith Chapin ‘83 Jonathan Clay, P’19 Laura Danforth, Head of School Tim Kane, Associate Head of School Tracy Limpe ‘80 P’15 ’20, Chair, Board of Trustees Rafael Pelli ’80 P’20 Consultant Team Beyer Blinder Belle Architects & Planners LLP Mathews Nielsen Landscape Architects Dharam Consulting

1 Executive Summary 2 A Framework for the Future 3 Circulation 4 Landscape 5 Buildings 6 Sustainability 7 Phasing 8 The Way Forward

The Masters School, Cochran Avenue

1 Executive Summary

Aerial view of Masters Hall, 2016

FACULTY APARTMENTS

THE CAMPUS MASTER PLAN The Masters School Campus Master Plan establishes a vision and framework plan for the historic 96-acre campus. New building, landscape and circulation projects will dramatically transform the school, bringing new opportunities for interdisciplinary activities, improved spaces for learning and increased engagement with wellness and environmental stewardship for students, faculty and staff alike.

HILL HOUSES

FACULTY HOUSES

FONSECA CENTER GIRLS DORMS CAMPUS CENTER STRAYER HALL

SERVICE BUILDING MORRIS HALL MIDDLE SCHOOL

MASTERS HALL

CARRIAGE HOUSE

NEW BUILDING ESTHERWOOD MANSION

Bird’s eye view of the long term Campus Master Plan

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THE MASTERS SCHOOL TODAY

Walgrove Avenue

Estherwood Avenue

FACULTY HOUSES

CARRIAGE HOUSE

MIDDLE SCHOOL

MORRIS HALL

REUNION FIELD

STRAYER HALL

FACULTY APARTMENTS

HILL HOUSES

DINING HALL CLARKE FIELD

MASTERS HALL

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The Masters School, 1920’s

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The Masters School was founded in 1877, as a school for girls with 12 students. Today, Masters has 700 students in the Middle and Upper Schools and in CITYterm.

Masters is known for its diversity and inclusiveness, with strong academic programs and a focus on the visual and performing arts. The school campus is located in the Village of Dobbs Ferry and surrounded by residential and commercial land uses.

Located on 96 acres, the school has significant open space, with 38 acres of woodlands and sweeping views of the Hudson River Valley. In addition, Masters lies less than 20 miles from New York City, a rich and diverse educational resource for the campus community, and the center of the CITYterm curriculum, an experiencebased academic program focused on the complexity of New York City.

With a diverse student body and a well-respected faculty, Masters is in a strong position for the future.

In recent years, the number of students, faculty and other staff at the school has grown disproportionately in relation to the development of its facilities. This has caused adaptation of existing spaces to meet additional classroom, office, parking and storage needs. Masters could alleviate space constraints through more efficient use of existing built spaces and increasing building density. The school could also take fuller advantage of its 96-acre campus and preserve important open space and natural habitat and encourage greater interaction with the woodlands. Haphazard vehicular circulation and parking, a result of organic development, can easily be rationalized and improved.

GIRLS DORMS

Great Hall in Estherwood Mansion, 1895 Cl i

Original Pittsburgh Library, 1921

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MASTER PLAN PROJECTS Master Plan Projects 1

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A Pedestrian Campus

Relocation of campus roads and construction of a new parking garage will improve pedestrian safety and enhance interaction with the natural landscape

Engaging with Nature

Enhanced woodland trails for academic and recreational use and improved campus-wide path network

Strayer Hall

Renovation and third floor addition for use as new library, a music department with modern facilities and the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center (IEC)

Masters Hall

Improved academic facilities including new classrooms, renovation of the theater house, lobby and entryway and Art Studio upgrades

Estherwood Mansion

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Walgrove Avenue

Campus Center and Service Building

Re-envisioning of the existing Dining Hall as a Campus Center, connected to a new Service Building by an underground tunnel.

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Estherwood Avenue

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Wellness Center

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Renovation of the Carriage House as a campus Wellness Center for co-curricular and community activities

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Broadway

The Master Plan includes a series of distinct projects, including recommendations for the 38-acre woodland that can be implemented over time. The projects vary in scale, scope and location: some projects recommend upgrades to single buildings, while others propose site-wide improvements, such as a new road or path networks.

At the heart of the Master Plan is the transformation of Cochran Avenue into a pedestrian promenade, and the design of a new road through the Lower Campus for student drop-off and pick-up. Additionally, a new interior road connection between the Fonseca Center and the Hill Houses will create a campus loop, improving site circulation. Finally, a two-story parking garage will provide parking for the campus, creating a safe, car-free zone at the center of campus.

Other key projects include new classrooms and the renovation of the Theater and Art Studio in Masters Hall, the addition of a third floor on Strayer Hall as a new campus Library, and re-envisioning the Dining Hall as a Campus Center and Service Building.

The Master Plan carefully integrates sustainable design strategies into site and building projects. For example, it promotes adaptive reuse and historic preservation of existing buildings before recommending new construction and uses green infrastructure to naturally manage stormwater on-site.

Creating a car-free zone in the campus core improves pedestrian safety, promotes walking, and increases time spent outdoors, while a site-wide network of paths allow students to wander and wonder throughout the campus, studying, engaging with and being inspired by nature. At the building scale, the Master Plan creates opportunities for daylighting of new spaces, use of renewable energy such as solar panels or ground source heating and cooling that can be integrated into new development and exploration of Net Zero Building Certification.

Middle School Expansion

Additional classrooms and common spaces and a new outdoor play space

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New Multi-Purpose Arts Building

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Clinton Avenue

A new building that might be used as a future multi-generational, multi-disciplinary campus arts center

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An internal road connecting the Fonseca Center and the Faculty Apartments on the hill

Increased use of Estherwood for a range of possible academic and community purposes

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A PEDESTRIAN CAMPUS

A key goal of the Master Plan is to reconnect the Upper and Lower Campus. Historically, Estherwood Mansion (1890’s), and later Masters Hall (1920’s) were located at the center of campus, and all campus paths and activities were oriented around these two places. Over the last 90 years the campus has expanded, and today the Upper Campus is separated from the Middle School and Lower Campus by Cochran Avenue, a road often congested with cars and buses.

The Master Plan promotes visual and physical reconnection between the Upper and Lower Campus, creating a car-free corridor that extends from the Hill Houses to the Middle School. By shifting bus and Middle School drop-off north of its existing location, Cochran Avenue will become a pedestrian promenade.

A new, universally accessible path will connect the Upper and Lower Campus, and shaded, outdoor seating with improved lighting is recommended at the bus drop-off and in front of the Middle School.

View of the Lower Campus from the Estherwood Mansion path

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ENGAGING THE OUTDOORS

Landscape is an integral part of tradition and daily life at the Masters School. Some of the most memorable and well-used spaces at Masters are outdoors; soccer games on West Field, frisbee in the Main Quad, graduation on the Senior Steps and Hudson River overlooks from the Hill Houses.

These informal outdoor activities are supported by six designated areas for programmed athletic events.

These fields and courts are in varying condition, with a wide range of use schedules. The Master Plan proposes relocating the softball field closer to Greene Family Field, creating a cluster of athletic activities in the Lower Campus.

Masters also has 38 acres of contiguous forested land with untapped potential. The Master Plan improves the opportunities for faculty, staff, and students to use these woodlands by providing upgraded trails and trail markings and by constructing low impact structures that can be used by multiple disciplines for outdoor education, including classes for the Arts, Sciences and Humanities. Improved, environmentally sensitive lighting in and around the trails, and educational signage describing important plant and animal habitats, will facilitate welcoming and safe use of the area.

A network of Wandering and Wondering paths will connect woodlands trails to the rest of the campus.

This network will utilize existing campus paths, improve ADA (ramp) accessibility, increase landscaping along paths, provide opportunities for shaded seating areas at locations with key views, and locate opportunities for temporary or permanent displays of student artwork.

Together, these projects will inspire the campus community to engage with the outdoors, celebrating the site’s topography, woodlands and historic landscapes.

Estherwood Mansion

North path, woodlands

Greene Family Field

Masters Hall Graduation Terrace Proposed outdoor classroom and woods revitalization (right)

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STRAYER HALL

Strayer Hall is currently a two-story building housing the Music Department and athletic facilities. The first floor of the building is underutilized and the building structure is considered to have capacity to support a third floor.

Given Strayer Hall’s key location in the center of campus, the Master Plan recommends renovating the existing first and second floors for use by programs important to the mission and vision of the school. These programs include the Music Department complete with a music lab, music library, practice rooms and an ensemble room located on the first floor and the Innovation & Entrepreneurship Center (IEC) located on the second floor, A new third floor will be added creating a modern, upgraded library with sweeping views of the campus landscape.

View of proposed Strayer Hall and Campus Center projects

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MASTERS HALL

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Constructed in 1921, Masters Hall continues to be the academic heart of the campus. Many spaces in this building are beloved by faculty and staff, including the gabled windows, bell tower, stained glass, hallway alcoves and other historic details. The Master Plan preserves the meaningful and historic character of this building, while expanding the quantity and quality of learning spaces it contains. Significant changes and improvements will be made to three important spaces in Masters Hall: the Library, the Theater and the Art Studio.

The existing Pittsburgh Library will be transformed into new classrooms, relieving the over-crowding and over-scheduling of classrooms in other parts of Masters Hall.

The Theater house floor will be expanded to allow seating for all Upper School students and faculty during morning meetings and school events, and the Theater lobby and entrance will be redesigned to reduce congestion. A new Theater entrance will create a more spacious lobby for visitors and students to use before and after events. Other Theater improvements include upgrading the sound and projection technology, fly space equipment and renovation of interior walls.

The Art Studio will be renovated with improved ventilation, ADA accessibility, new storage space and improved thermal performance.

Estherwood Mansion is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is currently used as Faculty Housing and for school events. With significant investment, this building has potential for future, alternative uses through creative adaptive reuse. There are many great ideas for future development of Estherwood Mansion, including but not limited to: • Leasing all or parts of the building to a private sector event management company and coordinating schedules between school sponsored and private events • Non-student facing Administration offices • Alumni club room and Alumni meeting spaces • Art classrooms and studios or student performance space • Possible location for a future Wellness Center, instead of, or supplementing, the Carriage House New development in Estherwood would require building condition and renovation feasibility studies, and may include reconsideration of faculty and staff housing on the upper floors.

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ESTHERWOOD MANSION

Estherwood Mansion MASTERS SCHOOL, MASTER PLAN REPORT

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CAMPUS CENTER AND SERVICE BUILDING

The Dining Hall is the center of life and activity on many campuses, connecting students of different ages and faculty from different departments, as well as boarding and day students.

The Cameron Mann Dining Hall will be adaptively reused to create a larger, more open building for recreation, dining and co-curricular activities. By prioritizing reuse of the existing building, both costs and environmental impacts of the new Campus Center will be reduced. A third floor will be added to the building with catered meeting rooms and a possible future Faculty Lounge. A new facade will allow daylight into all floors, improving views and connection with the outdoors.

The Campus Center will be connected through a tunnel to a new Service Building, the home of future campus operations, loading and storage. Outside, the design includes a newly landscaped, extended Quad with perennial flower beds, cafĂŠ seating, rotating art exhibits, and amphitheater steps for informal events and outdoor gathering. This re-imagined amphitheater and extended quad enables a direct connection between the student dorms and Masters Hall, while the new Campus Center provides sweeping views of the historic campus and the Hudson River Valley.

View of proposed Campus Center

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WELLNESS CENTER

The sloping topography and mature trees on the Lower Campus make an ideal site for a Wellness Center. This center would be home to a wide range of indoor and outdoor uses which teach and promote physical and mental wellbeing. These uses may include, but are not limited to, a greenhouse and expanded campus community garden, aerobic studios, meditation rooms, office space and community meeting rooms for lectures or group discussions.

Originally built in 1894 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the Carriage House could be an ideal home for this program. With direct connections to the Middle School and Estherwood Mansion, a Wellness Center located at the Carriage House would offer quiet and serene outdoor classroom space and a community entrance on Estherwood Avenue for evening and weekend community programs.

View of proposed outdoor patio at the Wellness Center

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IMPLEMENTATION PHASE 1

The Campus Master Plan is expected to be implemented in phases, over time. Each phase includes multiple individual projects, and in many cases, projects within a single phase require coordinated sequencing to minimize disturbance to academic and co-curricular activities.

Recommended phases were developed by talking with, and listening to, the campus community and working with the Master Plan Committee throughout the planning process. This phasing plan is meant to be adaptable to future funding availability and evolving priorities of the school.

Phase 1 is expected to include new roadways and paths on the Lower Campus, alongside a new parking garage and a pedestrian promenade replacing Cochran Avenue. Phase 1 building projects provide much-needed additional classroom space, and improve other key academic spaces including the Theater, Art Studio and construction of a new Library.

PHASE 2 Phase 2 will include the Campus Center and Service Building projects to replace the Cameron Mann Dining Hall and kitchen building, a new loading dock and parking area, and improvements to pedestrian paths and landscape in the Upper Campus.

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Phase 1 project areas

INDEPENDENT PROJECTS Independent projects do not require completion of Phase 1 or Phase 2 projects in order to be realized and can be implemented at any time. Some independent projects are small in scope and cost, such as Woodland Area Improvements, while others, like the renovation of the Estherwood Mansion, are more complex.

Independent projects recommended in the Master Plan include: renovation of the Carriage House and Estherwood Mansion, construction of a campus loop road connecting the Fonseca Center and the Faculty Apartments on the hill, expansion of the existing Middle School for additional teaching space, creating a network of trails in the woodlands for academic and recreational use, and construction of a new building that might be used as a future multi-disciplinary campus arts center.

The Masters School campus road

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Phase 2 project areas

Independent project areas

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2 A Framework for the Future

The Masters School Main Quad looking south, 2016

WHAT IS A MASTER PLAN? The Masters School Campus Master Plan expresses a shared vision for the future of the school’s indoor and outdoor spaces. It builds upon the unique sense of place and the identity of Masters. The plan protects and enhances existing valued spaces, such as Graduation Terrace, and creates new physical spaces that support the school as a place of community, respect, learning and diversity.

The Master Plan proposes a vision that both serves the school’s mission and is adaptable to evolving academic priorities and economic conditions over time. It provides guidance for the school in the implementation of projects, and can be used as a tool for coordinating short-term projects and long-term plans and goals.

The Master Plan is both a process and a product. The process, documented in this report and in the October 2016 Discovery Phase Report, informs the projects and initiatives already in progress and integrates these into a broader, long term perspective for ongoing decisionmaking about capital projects and improvements, community input, communications and implementation.

For example, the 2016-17 academic year is the Year of Sustainability at The Masters School. The master planning process has assisted the school in identifying environmental values of the campus community through stakeholder interviews and discussions with school leadership. This process has occurred in parallel with sustainability planning efforts at the school, such as the 2017 Masters Matters Symposium on sustainability, bolstering existing sustainability plans and building on these plans through recommending future site-wide and building sustainability investments.

The final Master Plan which comprises this report – the product - captures the analysis, principles, vision and final recommendations that were shaped collaboratively with the school. This document is a framework of strategic, aesthetic and environmental goals for the campus and it is intended to guide future

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AN INCLUSIVE PROCESS decisions about existing building renovation, the location and design of new buildings, safe, integrated circulation design, priority landscape projects and site infrastructure improvements. It is intended to be used to communicate the vision to The Masters School community and its supporters, as well as the broader public. This work can be used by the school to create brochures, websites, and exhibitions as well as to inform technical manuals, which assist in school planning and operations.

ENHANCING THE 2015 STRATEGIC PLAN The Masters School Strategic Plan, completed by the school in 2015, identifies six overarching goals: Goal #1 Embrace Deep and Transformational Learning Goal #2 Build a Faculty of Distinction that Embodies Our Philosophy and Pedagogy Goal #3 Lead in Innovative Teaching Goal #4 Support Growth and Excellence in Our Faculty Goal #5 Celebrate Our Rich and Inclusive Learning Community Goal #6 Guarantee the School’s Financial Future The Campus Master plan builds on these goals, planning and designing for spaces that support the school’s philosophy, pedagogy and innovative approaches to teaching and learning, making allowances for a rapidly changing world, helping attract and retain faculty of distinction, and permitting the flexible implementation of Master Plan projects over time.

INTEGRATING THE MASTER PLAN WITH FINANCIAL AND CAPITAL PLANNING The Master Plan creates a context within which the school can strategically assess where and how to deploy its capital resources over time. The plan gives the school the ability to anticipate future projects and to align funding sources accordingly.

Raising additional capital will be required in order to fulfill projects contemplated by the Campus Master Plan. The school is undertaking a Capital Campaign that will support the initiatives described in the plan. It is expected that the Master Plan will inform the priorities of the Capital Campaign, and progress on the Capital Campaign will inform the execution of the Master Plan.

It is not anticipated that funding for these projects will come from additional indebtedness.

The Master Plan creates a useful lens through which to view capital projects that are undertaken as part of the regular operating budget (annual maintenance projects). It is complementary to, and adds on to the analysis performed in the Facilities Assessment Study completed in 2015. Projects in spaces that will be repurposed or substantially renovated under the plan may be given lower priority than those for which no work is recommended. Of course the amount and timing of such investments will be determined in conjunction with the urgency of such spending and overall project time-lines.

For more than 140 years, The Masters School has been a campus where students learn to think carefully and critically, providing an education where the arts, sciences, literature and athletics blend and allow students to develop a diversity of interests. The Master Plan underpins the continuation of this legacy, enhancing the success of the school as an innovative center for learning in the 21st century.

The master planning process consisted of three phases: Discovery, Scenario Development and Framework Plan. The Discovery phase began with a campus tour and a series of stakeholder interviews, in which the design team met with over 150 members of the campus community including Middle and Upper School students, Faculty, Parents, Administration, Senior Leadership, Alumnae/i and members of the Board of Trustees. The purpose of these meetings was to listen and to gain a better understanding of how the campus is experienced as well as to better identify the school’s challenges, strengths and opportunities.

Two design charrettes, one campus communitywide Open House and four meetings with the Master

Plan Committee took place between September 2016 and January 2017, allowing the design team to illustrate possible future scenarios and receive formative feedback throughout the Scenario Development phase.

In these scenarios, a wide range of ‘big ideas’ were explored, using building test-fits to assess opportunities for future expansion and relocation.

In the Framework Plan phase, prior input was synthesized into preferred scenarios, creating a Campus Master Plan that was presented to the Board of Trustees on January 28th, 2017.

The quotations and maps on the following pages are a small sample of what the Design Team heard from the campus community.

Design Charrettes

Stakeholder Input

Campus Open House

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INPUT FROM THE CAMPUS COMMUNITY

DISCOVERY PHASE FINDINGS Unauthorized Traffic Flow

Indoor important Formal or Informal Gathering Space

Direction of Traffic Flow

Outdoor important Formal or Informal Gathering Space

Parking Lot

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“the essence of Masters is diversity, in many different definitions. The school is inclusive with an organically diverse community”

Esther wood Ave

Informal Parking Area

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Pedestrian-Traffic conflict areas

“the bus forgets to pick people up a lot. There should be more benches in the grassy area”

Traffic Congestion

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Senior Steps, bell tower & stonework

DECIDUOUS

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Hudson River views from Hill Houses

EVERGREEN

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The campus quad

SIGNIFICANT TREES

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Reunion Field and the sledding hill

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Fonseca cafe tables & Fencing Studio

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Senior bell under the dining hall

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Estherwood Mansion

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Park Cottage

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Art Studio

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MIXED HARDWOOD FOREST WITH LIMITED UNDERSTORY GROWTH & NO SHRUB LAYER

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Meaningful and Historic Places

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WOODLAND TRAIL (APPROX.)

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Vehicular Circulation

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Indoor and Outdoor Gathering Spaces

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“We need a space for wandering and wondering ­– there are few places for contemplation and sitting”

“Masters is a caring community ­– this is rooted in our history...”

“The Library is not a Library - it is a social space but it is not functioning very well”

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“aesthetically, it never was any beauty anyway” (dining hall)

“Arts are very important and we don’t have a Theater that is up-to-date. We have outgrown it”

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Dead-End Road

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GUIDING PRINCIPLES Five overarching principles guided development of the Master Plan. These Principles were established through an iterative process between the Design Team and the Masters School leadership as a reflection of the input from the campus community, beginning with conversations in the Discovery Phase, and continuing through design of site and building projects during monthly Master Plan Committee meetings.

These Guiding Principles allowed the school to evaluate and define the projects recommended within the Campus Master Plan. They are also intended to guide future decisions about plan implementation and framework growth, as academic needs, student population, financial and climate conditions change over time.

Together, the Guiding Principles define a future campus that is closely connected to nature, enhancing physical and mental wellbeing, with academic and co-curricular spaces that encourage creative, diverse, open thinking.

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1 CREATE A PLACE FOR OPTIMAL TEACHING AND LEARNING • Design spaces that support mental and physical wellbeing • Use the campus to promote physical activity • Create spaces of both stimulation and serenity

2 ENGAGE THE LANDSCAPE • Preserve and enhance memorable landscapes • Create opportunities for learning and fitness in the woodlands • Provide new outdoor spaces for gathering and teaching • Connect to the Hudson Valley environment

3 CONNECT THE CAMPUS • Create a car-free campus core • Ensure universal design and accessibility • Rationalize vehicular circulation and parking

4 PRESERVE HISTORY AND CELEBRATE CHANGE • Protect, restore and showcase historic buildings and spaces • Give old spaces new life for new uses • Design innovative new spaces for learning

5 PROMOTE ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP • Conserve energy and increase use of renewables • Reduce water consumption • Rethink waste and expand recycling across campus

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SUSTAINABILITY Sustainability is the theme for the 2016-2017 academic year at Masters, and the Master Plan creates a unique opportunity to support both short- and long-term site-wide sustainability investments. The master planning process has provided opportunities for the school to identify sustainability strategies that can be implemented at the site scale, and integrate these strategies into a future vision for the school. A Master Plan can help a school achieve environmental values, guiding implementation of sustainability projects and programs over time.

Reflecting on the Discovery and Scenario Development phases, the promotion of environmental stewardship emerged as a key value for the school. The Master Plan helps to physically realize this value by integrating sustainable design strategies into the plan, including energy conservation, reduction of automobile dependence, health and wellbeing, connections to nature, and water and waste management.

These sustainable design strategies build upon sustainability efforts already underway at Masters.

These include the expansion of campus recycling and composting programs, eliminating use of plastic water

SUSTAINABLE DESIGN STRATEGIES bottles by Athletics, facilitating the design of a future outdoor classroom by students, expanding a community garden for students and staff, and embarking on an application for USGBC LEED Gold Certification of the Fonseca Center. The master planning process complements student and faculty leadership to create a future vision for the school that builds on and enhances existing efforts.

For example, the Master Plan creates a central, visible location for a Materials Management Center for recycling and waste management, provides for the expansion of the community garden to include an indoor-outdoor greenhouse for classroom use, located near the Wellness Center, and increases the number of outdoor spaces with shaded seating and accessible paths for outdoor recreation.

A sustainable future is important to the Masters School community. This Master Plan therefore presents a clear and exciting opportunity to both reduce the long term economic and environmental impacts of the campus through sustainable design, and to teach future leaders and students how to identify, discuss and design solutions to increasingly pressing environmental challenges.

Sustainability investments traditionally fall into five categories; Energy, Mobility, Health & Wellbeing, Landscape & Ecology, Water and Materials & Waste.

Within educational institutions, there is a unique opportunity to address educational curriculum and community values, adding an additional venue through which sustainability can be practiced and taught.

The sustainable design elements listed to the right have been integrated into all aspects of the Master Plan. Chapter 6 of this report describes further recommended next steps for implementation, as well as additional strategies to be considered.

CONSERVE ENERGY, INCREASE USE OF RENEWABLES

IMPROVE MOBILITY AND ACCESSIBILITY

ENHANCE PHYSICAL AND MENTAL WELLBEING

EXPERIENCE THE OUTDOOR LANDSCAPE

IMPROVE WATER MANAGEMENT

IMPROVED WALKING

IMPROVED WALKING

PATHS

PATHS

OUTDOOR ART & GATHERING SPACES

OUTDOOR CLASSROOM

RENEWABLE ENERGY IN BUILDINGS

PARKING GARAGE

PARKING GARAGE

CENTRAL MATERIALS

CENTRAL MATERIALS MANAGEMENT

MANAGEMENT

Campus compost facility (top), campus community garden (middle) and a walkable campus with open space (bottom).

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RETHINK WASTE

“I’m excited and encouraged by the [sustainability] steps we have taken to date, but I am even more excited about what lies ahead”

WELLNESS CENTER

STORMWATER RETENTION

PERMEABLE PAVERS

NEW DROP-OFF ROAD & PEDESTRIAN PATHS

NEW DROP-OFF ROAD & PEDESTRIAN PATHS

Laura Danforth, Head of School

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CAMPUS HISTORY The Masters School has a rich history, which is reflected in distinct eras of physical development and change on the campus. The school was founded in 1877 as “The Misses Masters Boarding and Day School”, by Eliza B. Mastersto serve young ladies and children. Miss Masters was a pioneer in establishing the school and was responsible for its development over 44 years, along with her sister Sarah Masters.

In the period between the 1880’s and 1890’s, the school went through significant transformations, from being scattered in multiple existing estate and village buildings, to constructing purpose-built classroom and dormitory buildings. In 1921 Masters Hall, designed by the renowned firm of Cram, Goodhue and Ferguson, was built on the south side of the estate properties. Along with the Hill House dormitories, this marked a significant shift in campus organization, moving the center of gravity of school activities from Estherwood Mansion and the Circle to the south and thus towards the uphill side of the property. All subsequent new buildings, with the exception of the old science building (now the Middle School), would be built on the uphill side.

Headmaster Cameron Mann played a pivotal role in the expansion of the campus in the 1950’s and 60’s.

He envisioned a campus with additional housing, an infirmary, science building, dining hall and the demolition of the old circle houses.

1996 was a significant and transformative year during which the Harkness method of teaching was implemented in Upper School, the Upper School became co-educational, the CITYterm program was launched and the Middle School was expanded to begin at the 5th grade.

In the 2000’s, the school continued to add new buildings and re-purpose existing buildings, closely following the historic architectural character of the campus. Several buildings designed by Peter Gisolfi Associates enhanced the campus, most recently the Fonseca Center, which has provided much needed spaces for athletics and the arts, as well as informal spaces for interaction both indoors and outdoors.

Estherwood Mansion greenhouse & Circle Houses ca. 1910

Main Quad looking south

Aerial view of The Masters School with Masters Hall under construction, 1920’s

38

MASTERS SCHOOL, MASTER PLAN REPORT

TIME LINE OF CAMPUS GROWTH The original school in Wilde House, 1877

Park Cottage (Ryder House) moved

The Estherwood Mansion

Estherwood Mansion Carriage House

School started in Wilde House

First & Second Houses School moved

Third & Fourth Houses

1877

1881

1884

1895

40 Boarders; 35 Day Scholars (tbc)

34 acre McComb Estates bought

1890 Glee Club

Students celebrate the schools 25th anniversary, 1902

40

MASTERS SCHOOL, MASTER PLAN REPORT

The Hill house dormitories, 1929

Fonseca Center, 2015

Morris Hall

Girls Dorms

Ryder property purchased; Octagonal Library added to Ryder House

14 Scholars

The original Pittsburgh Library in Masters Hall

1909

Masters Hall

1911

1915

Masters School Mantle Ceremony became Incorporated for graduation started NYS Board of Masters School Regents Charter named as a granted ownership Non-profit academy to the Masters family

Old Gymnasium (current Art Studio) Armour Assembly Hall & House English Study Room Hill Houses demolished

1921 Miss Eliza B. Masters passed away

1924

1929

Strayer Hall (added gymnasium)

1938

1956

School bought Paton Estate

“Take-ons”: members of DAA, Phoenix, Glee Clubs paraded around the Circle

Park Cottage: Home of HOS

Science Building (now Middle School)

1959

1965

Cameron Mann as new headmaster

First House demolished Dining Hall

1969 1971

102 Day Students; 256 Boarders

Masters Hall Fire

Middle School started for Girls

Auditorium

1974 330 students

CITY term

1994

MS renovated & expanded New baseball field

1996

Harkness Teaching Method Upper School Coed Middle School (MS) expanded to 5-8

2001

New Faculty apartments

Fonseca Center

2005

2015

Greene Family Field

352 Day students & 151 Boarders (Upper School); 165 students (Middle School)

Greene Family Field

Masters Hall after the fire, 1971

Harkness Table

MASTERS SCHOOL, MASTER PLAN REPORT

41

CAMPUS MORPHOLOGY

1877 ­– 1900

The morphology maps on the right and on the following page show the evolution of the campus over time from a physical point of view. The maps highlight the buildings and major roadways that shaped the footprint of the campus in each time period.

From its first home in Wilde House, the school moved for Ryder estate property and expanded into the Circle Houses that were purpose built for dormitories, classrooms, a library and an infirmary.

1901 ­– 1921

1922 ­– 1950

1951 ­– 2000

2001 ­– TODAY

Masters Hall was completed in 1921 and the school continued to occupy properties on both sides of Cochran Avenue. The Estherwood Circle was still the main open space for all school activities.

The addition of the Hill House dormitories shifted the center of the campus to the south of Cochran Avenue.

Four new fields and two tennis courts were added to support the expanding student population.

The footprint of the campus grew the most during the 1950’s and 60’s. The first, second and third houses on the north were demolished and new buildings were built on the south side centered around the a new quadrangle.

The school has continued to strengthen its physical plant. New buildings including Morris Hall, Fonseca Center and faculty housing have added to the main academic core

2.5 MIN WALK DISTANCE

5M

IN W ALK

DIAGRAM TITLE

42

MASTERS SCHOOL, MASTER PLAN REPORT

TAN

CE

DIAGRAM TITLE

CATEGORY 1

CATEGORY 1

CATEGORY 2

CATEGORY 2

CATEGORY 3

CATEGORY 3

CATEGORY 4

CATEGORY 4

CATEGORY 5

CATEGORY 5

CATEGORY 6

CATEGORY 6

CATEGORY 7

CATEGORY 7

CATEGORY 8

CATEGORY 8

CATEGORY 9

CATEGORY 9

The Estherwood Mansion, 1895

2.5 MIN WALK DISTANCE

2.5 MIN WALK DISTANCE

DIS

2.5 MIN WALK DISTANCE

DIAGRAM TITLE

5M

DIAGRAM TITLE

CATEGORY 1

IN W ALK

The campus as seen from Estherwood, with its greenhouse, 1910

IN W ALK

CATEGORY 3

CE

DIS

CATEGORY 1

5M

IN W ALK

CATEGORY 2 CATEGORY 3

CATEGORY 4

TAN

DIAGRAM TITLE

CATEGORY 1

5M

CATEGORY 2

DIS

2.5 MIN WALK DISTANCE

DIS

IN W ALK

CATEGORY 4

TAN

TAN

CATEGORY 5

CATEGORY 5

CATEGORY 6

CATEGORY 6

CATEGORY 7

CATEGORY 7

CATEGORY 8

CATEGORY 8

CATEGORY 8

CATEGORY 9

CATEGORY 9

CATEGORY 9

The Hill House dormitories, 1929

5M

CATEGORY 2 CATEGORY 3

CATEGORY 4

CATEGORY 5

CE

CATEGORY 6 CATEGORY 7

The Dining Hall, 1969

CE

DIS

TAN

CE

Fonseca Center, 2015

MASTERS SCHOOL, MASTER PLAN REPORT

43

3 Circulation

Avenue at the Middle School, 2016

ROADS

Estherwood Avenue

des

ra n

tria

nP

Ave n

ue

ro m

en a

de

Estherwood Avenue

Pe

Co ch

A prime goal of the Campus Master Plan is to rationalize circulation and parking on campus. Circulation on campus is made difficult by the following elements: • Multiple dead end roads; Cochran Avenue and the Middle School road which double as the primary road through campus and the road where all cars and buses stop to pick up, drop off and wait for students • Frequently used path between the tennis courts and loading dock which is meant for trucks • Insufficient lighting of parking lots and waiting areas at night • Lack of a campus loop requiring duplicative trips to access upper and lower campuses • Insufficient and scattered parking yielding circuitous trips around campus looking for parking.

Big Ideas: The Design Team worked closely with the school to identify a new circulation system that would improve the campus for pedestrians, while rationalizing vehicle travel and parking. Important factors in this process were preservation, to the extent possible, of existing landscape topography, maximizing open space and maintaining views.

CIRCULATION ZONES Cl i

Existing bus pick-up and drop-off on Cochran Avenue

0

n to

nA ve

Cl i nu

e

200 FT

N

Existing vehicular circulation

N

0' 0'

250

200 FT

N

Preliminary circulation zones diagram BEYER BLINDER BELLE

46

MASTERS SCHOOL, MASTER PLAN REPORT

MATHEWS NIELSEN DHARAM CONSULTING

Special Events Middle School Drop Off Upper School Bus Drop Off Service Route

0

n to

nA ve

nu

e

200 FT

N

Proposed vehicular circulation

“The middle school drop off area is too congested, all types of traffic are co-mingled and as a result, congested” Masters School Stakeholder Interviews

Circulation title CAMPUS MASTER PLAN - MPC MEETING

MASTERS SCHOOL, MASTER PLAN REPORT

47

PARKING Recent growth in the number of students, faculty and staff at the Masters School has outstripped the availability of parking on the campus. The school has worked to solve this problem by adding incremental parking spaces to existing lots, using the open space near the Carriage House as a formal parking area and parking along Clinton Avenue. Despite these efforts, parking is still a problem for the school, especially during large athletic or campus-wide events.

Designing safe, efficient parking that meets the needs of the school is an essential component for the Master Plan. Provision of adequate parking is often a prerequisite for town or village planning, and an illogical or insufficient parking plan negatively affects the day-today life of campus visitors and community.

The Master Plan recommends consolidating parking into three primary locations: the Masters Hall parking lot, the Estherwood parking lot and the Fonseca Center parking garage Together, these parking areas provide 90% of the total parking currently on campus (323 spaces). Smaller parking areas will still be available near key residential buildings, and temporary parking, as well as handicap spaces, will serve all buildings on campus.

The plan recommends strategically phasing these parking improvements to ensure adequate parking is available at all times throughout the implementation process.

21 SPACES 21 SPACES 18 SPACES

24 SPACES 38 SPACES

43 SPACES

10 SPACES

11 SPACES

6 SPACES

6 SPACES 19 SPACES 19 SPACES

0

17 SPACES

200 FT

N

67 SPACES

Existing informal parking area near Carriage House

MASTERS HALL PARKING LOT, 105 SPACES

6 SPACES

0

50 SPACES Existing Parking Lot 105 SPACES

0'

200’

EXISTING PARKING SPACES = 273 SPACES Master Plan proposed parking

N

Rationalize the layout of this parking lot, removing dispersed spaces along the Masters Hall driveway and economizing right-of-way width. A redesigned loading area with five truck bays will serve a new loading dock at the Service Building. Significant existing trees will be preserved and storm water management swales will be constructed.

67

Masters Hall

ESTHERWOOD PARKING LOT, 51 SPACES

Masters Hall Tennis Courts

19

Estherwood

Existing parking lot east of the Fonseca Center will be expanded and decked, using natural topography to buffer the visibility of the garage from other parts of campus. The garage will have a lower and upper deck entrances, eliminating the need for interior ramps and elevators and maximizing parking efficiency.

200 FT

N

Existing parking

FONSECA CENTER GARAGE, 134 SPACES

MASTERS SCHOOL, MASTER PLAN REPORT

51 SPACES

8 SPACES

Existing parking around Estherwood will be expanded on the north and east sides of the building to accommodate for future increased use of this building and to support events at the Greene Family Field.

48

145 SPACES

37 SPACES

Location

Estherwood

Number of Spaces

Location

8

Fonseca Center Garage

Number of Spaces 105 51 145

Fonseca Center

48

Girls Dorms

50

Girls Dorms

23

Hill Houses

43

Hill Houses

43

Faculty Houses

21

Faculty Houses

21

Middle School

10

Middle School

38

Carriage House

18

Carriage House

50

Park Cottage

Park Cottage TOTAL

6

TOTAL

6 449

323

MASTERS SCHOOL, MASTER PLAN REPORT

49

4 Landscape

Beech tree on the Lower Campus, 2016

LANDSCAPE TYPOLOGIES

Pe de

str

ian

Pro m

en a

de

Broadway

The Master Plan identifies eight landscape typologies that can be developed through phased construction on the campus. The typologies were established in order to preserve specific historic features, acknowledge current and proposed circulation patterns, and address the experiential goals expressed during the Master Plan process. The typologies serve as a landscape blueprint, establishing sustainable spaces with their own identity.

As in all master planning projects, the function of open space may change over the years as the campus evolves.

Therefore it is important that the landscape design solutions offer as much flexibility as possible.

The landscape typologies are calibrated to each area of the campus and respond to the spatial qualities that exist today. A thumbnail description of each of the typologies is found on the following pages. Prior to embarking on any new landscape investment it will be important to develop a clear understanding of the current site parameters which include soil types, drainage and slope conditions, tree health, sun/shade conditions, and availability of water for establishment and long term maintenance.

Esther wood Avenue

ARBORETUM EDGE Cli n

ton

OPEN LAWN WITH CHARACTER TREES Av en

ue

TRANSITIONAL LANDSCAPE ESTHERWOOD LANDSCAPE CAMPUS GARDEN ENTRANCE LANDSCAPE

N 52

MASTERS SCHOOL, MASTER PLAN REPORT

0

200 FT

WOODLAND & NATURALIZED LANDSCAPE ATHLETIC FIELDS MASTERS SCHOOL, MASTER PLAN REPORT

53

LANDSCAPE TYPOLOGIES

Create an elegant Arboretum experience along Clinton Ave for both academic and public use.

New understory trees with seasonal interest and low maintenance groundcovers will provide a layered, welcoming landscape and can be coupled with interpretive tree signage.

ARBORETUM EDGE

The campus tradition of sweeping lawns framed by mature trees or greens dotted with specimen trees (such as the Weeping Beech pictured here) will continue. These flexible spaces preserve views, allow free play and are the setting for memorable events.

TRANSITIONAL LANDSCAPE

54

MASTERS SCHOOL, MASTER PLAN REPORT

CAMPUS GARDEN

OPEN LAWN WITH CHARACTER TREES

These are spaces that wrap, anchor and buffer buildings and athletic fields. They will be designed not as leftover spaces, but well defined, sustainable spaces whether simply lawns or meadows, hedgerows, or evergreen buffers.

Signature garden areas are carefully planned for the highly trafficked connections from the south end of Masters Hall, past the new Campus Commons. These gardens will offer seasonal delight but are limited in number as they will require a higher level of maintenance.

The landscape at this historic mansion on campus will be designed to reflect the scale and character of the Victorian architecture and its landmark status.

A cohesive color palette will help integrate this landscape into its surroundings.

ESTHERWOOD LANDSCAPE

Memories and celebrations will be front and center at this arrival landscape which will recognize Masters Hall as the heart of the academic campus. Plant selections in this location can offer interest and seasonal structure 12-months of the year.

ENTRANCE LANDSCAPE

The existing mixed hardwood forest at the southeast border of the school will be enhanced to offer educational and recreational uses.

Improvements will be low maintenance and flexible to allow for evolving programs.

WOODLAND AND NATURALIZED LANDSCAPE

The existing athletic fields are integral to campus life and the school’s reputation and Reunion Field is the front yard for the girls’ and boys’ dorms. The Master Plan proposes upgrades to specific fields and relocation of others. All fields should be regularly evaluated for performance.

ATHLETIC FIELDS

MASTERS SCHOOL, MASTER PLAN REPORT

55

TEACHING LANDSCAPES The entire 96-acre Masters School campus should be considered a teaching landscape. Its physiography, history and tree palette alone are enough to fuel laboratory learning 12-months of the year. The 38-acre woodland that has been identified as one of the eight landscape typologies is an untapped resource for studies in carbon capture and sequestration, biology and botany. The woodland setting also provides opportunities for art classes, sketching and observation of nature. Learning to “read” a landscape is one of the great gifts a school can provide students.

The Master Plan envisions that the existing, unmarked woodland paths will be cleared and regraded to provide a maintained 4’ wide trail leading students between a North Trailhead (A in key map, dead-end of Estherwood Avenue) and a South Trailhead (B in key Map, near Pamela Clarke Field). Each trailhead will be indicated with a wooden trail marker and

subsequent markers will be placed every tenth of a mile and at critical junctions. Outdoor classrooms can be sited along the trail in areas that are open and level to reduce disturbance to the existing woodland. The North Trailhead is easily accessed by an on campus trail connection that starts at the faculty housing loop and leads down to the dead-end of Estherwood Avenue.

Access to the South Trailhead would be from the existing campus access road.

The teaching landscapes will also include Wandering and Wondering paths that reach across the campus.

Along these paths site specific, curated works of art can be positioned to draw visitors and inspire students.

Benches will be situated at specific locations for rest and contemplation. The Wandering and Wondering Paths will help unify the Upper and Lower campuses and invite discovery for families visiting their children.

Estherwood Avenue

A

Proposed outdoor classroom and woods revitalization

Reunion Field

B

N

Photographs taken along the north path in woodland 56

MASTERS SCHOOL, MASTER PLAN REPORT

Woodland Key Map MASTERS SCHOOL, MASTER PLAN REPORT

57

TOPOGRAPHIC CHARACTER As a Hudson River Valley landscape, the Masters School Campus commands long views to the river as it rises 225 feet in elevation from north to south. This topographic change is a defining landscape characteristic and has been a key driver in the location of athletic fields and circulation. The cross-sections on these two pages capture 100 feet of the elevation change, from the Greene Family Field in the north to the Hill Houses in the south. The terrace at the Hill Houses and the slopes of Reunion Field are well loved places on campus due to the prospect at these high points.

The enlarged section to the right also shows new seat walls which are nestled into the Reunion Field slope to provide spectator seating in the shade of mature oaks.

Estherwood Avenue

A B Cl i

View of the Hudson River Valley from the Hill Houses

n to

nA ve

nu

e

N

Reunion field hillside seating area

SCALE: 1/32" = 1'-0"

Key map

B A 215'

174'

115'

GREENE FAMILY FIELD

ESTHERWOOD

MIDDLE SCHOOL LOOP

PEDESTRIAN PROMENADE

MORRIS HALL

STRAYER HALL

CAMPUS CENTER

REUNION FIELD

SPECTATOR SEATING

HILL HOUSES SCALE: 1" = 100'

58

MASTERS SCHOOL, MASTER PLAN REPORT

MASTERS SCHOOL, MASTER PLAN REPORT

59

ATHLETIC FIELDS

DEC

.CED

OCT NOV

VO ON N ..V

.VON

.T CO

TC CO O ..T

.T CO

.TPES

.TPES

TP PE ES S ..T

.TPES

.GUA

.GUA

.GUA

GU UA A ..G

.GUA

YLUJ

YLUJ

YLUJ

YLUJ

YL LU UJ J Y

YLUJ

ENUJ

ENUJ

ENUJ

ENUJ

ENUJ

EN NU UJ J E

ENUJ

YAM

LIRPA

LIRPA

LIRPA

LIRPA

LIRPA

LIIR RP PA A L

LIRPA

.RAM

.RAM

.RAM

.RAM

.RAM

.RAM

RA AM M ..R

.RAM

Estherwood Avenue

REUNION FIELD

EVANS FIELD

Cl i

.NAJ

NA AJ J ..N

.NAJ

.NAJ

60

MASTERS SCHOOL, MASTER PLAN REPORT

SOCCER

BASEBALL

TRACK & FIELD

FIELD HOCKEY

SOFTBALL

CROSS COUNTRY

LACROSSE

TENNIS

OUTSIDE USERS

CLARKE FIELD

GREENE FIELD EVANS FIELD

CLARKE FIELD

TENNIS COURTS

0

n to

nA ve

TENNIS COURTS nu

WEST FIELD

TENNIS COURTS Cl i

e

200 FT

N

Field usage

REUNION FIELD

GREENE FIELD

.BEF

BE EF F ..B

.BEF

.BEF

.NAJ

.NAJ

.BEF

.BEF

.NAJ

.NAJ

.BEF

.BEF

FEB

LIRPA

JAN

Estherwood Avenue

YAM

CE ED D ..C

.VON

.T CO

.TPES

.GUA

YLUJ

YA AM M Y

.CED

.VON

.T CO

.TPES

.GUA

ENUJ

YAM

.CED

.VON

.T CO

.TPES

YLUJ

YAM

.CED

.VON

.T CO

.GUA

YAM

.CED

.VON

.TPES

YAM

.CED

.T CO YAM

.VON

MAR APR MAY JUNE JULY AUG SEP

NEW EVANS SOFTBALL FIELD (NATURAL TURF)

Broadway

NEW REUNION FIELD (NATURAL TURF)

CLARKE FIELD (NATURAL TURF)

Broadway

WEST FIELD (NATURAL TURF)

TENNIS COURTS (HARD COURT) .CED

The usage of athletic fields and courts were cataloged during the Master Plan process. The chart found on this page was updated to reflect the proposed removal of the Evans Family soccer field (at the new Middle School Loop) and the relocation of the new Evans Family softball field to be in close proximity to the Greene Family Field. The new Evans Family softball field is positioned adjacent to existing mature trees and will require construction of a retaining wall due to topographic change. Removal of any mature trees and the final grading and site design for this field will require close collaboration with landscape architects and arborists to minimize site disturbance.

The Master Plan anticipates a full reconstruction of Reunion Field with a new under-drainage system and perimeter drains to decrease surface runoff and erosion generated from the neighboring sloped hillside. The field will be reseeded and established for optimal playability and is anticipated to accommodate the scheduled activity from the removed Evans Family soccer field.

GREENE FIELD (SYNTHETIC TURF)

Existing athletic fields

0

n to

nA ve

nu

WEST FIELD

e

200 FT

N

Proposed athletic fields

MASTERS SCHOOL, MASTER PLAN REPORT

61

STORMWATER MANAGEMENT on the downhill side of new development or between ecotones to capture additional runoff. Bioretention areas offset the negative effects of construction by providing concentrated areas of native plants whereas stormwater systems can infiltrate and recharge. This is a working landscape system offering additional teaching opportunities. However, like any new landscape system they will require knowledge of the design principles and maintenance practices.

Stormwater management may also occur on top of built structures including parking garages and new or existing buildings. A green roof has a specifically designed structure that protects the roof membrane and supports plant life. Green roofs have many visual and environmental benefits including insulation of the structure below and decrease of the heat island effect.

Walgrove Avenue

Estherwood Avenue

Broadway

The sustainable principles that can be implemented across the landscape may include use of native plants and adaptive species, selection of turf grasses for water conservation and reduced mowing and integrated pest management (IPM) programs. However, the introduction of additional stormwater management techniques may have the most immediate and positive impact on the campus, addressing erosion and drainage issues. Such strategies will be closely related to the topographic change on the campus.

Two detention basins exist on campus now and are shown on the map on the opposite page. As their name suggests, these are designed to detain, not retain, stormwater. Specific strategies for new or additional stormwater design elements may include: the use of permeable pavement where appropriate, the capture and treatment of stormwater in parking lots, and the creation of bioretention areas (also called rain gardens) in the campus interior. These interior stormwater solutions may often be located

Cl i

0'

62

MASTERS SCHOOL, MASTER PLAN REPORT

Formal bioretention basin

Informal bioretention basin

nA ve n

ue

200'FT

N

Permeable pavers

n to

Campus Master Plan stormwater management

EXISTING DETENTION BASIN BIORETENTION OPPORTUNITY AREA PERMEABLE PAVERS

MASTERS SCHOOL, MASTER PLAN REPORT

63

5 Buildings

Masters Hall Graduation Terrace, 2016

STRAYER HALL Today, Strayer Hall has approximately 20,000 square feet of program area, located on two floors. The Master Plan proposes to renovate this building, adding a third floor with nearly 10,000 SF of programmable area, for use as a campus library. Renovation and adding a new floor to Strayer Hall will increase the density of the campus core, bringing more students to the building to use the library and Innovation & Entrepreneurship Center (IEC), which will likely increase the use of the Cafe and other facilities at the Fonseca Center.

In August 2013 Peter Gisolfi Architects worked with The Masters School to redesign the second floor of Strayer Hall in order to better accommodate the school’s growing Music Department. The Master Plan Ideas:this, CAMPUS FACILITIES recommends Big implementing or a similar, floor-wide renovation on the first floor of Strayer Hall. This would provide at-grade access for people and performance equipment to the Fonseca Center and Masters Hall via the Main Quad, relieving students and staff from carrying heavy equipment up and down stairs for 1. RENOVATE IN performances in other buildings. Relocation of the Music PLACE Department will include co-locating the Fitness Center within or out with the old Gym Relocate and relocating supporting facilities.

Direct access from first floor music department to ofthe Masters: • Librarywill Conf.

Room the Fonseca Center courtyard make it easier for • Non-student facing students and faculty to access Fonseca performance Admissions and teaching spaces, as Admin well as + the cafe and outside Expansion: areas for break.

• Multi-functional library Primary library functions will be located on the • Quiet + Social areas new third floor, approximately the same size as the existing library in Masters Hall. These functions include MOVE ELSEWHERE Middle School and2.Upper School stacks, a periodical IN MASTERS area, computer zone, librarian office, circulation desk, Out: quiet study area andMoves printing/photocopying area.

• Theater orincluding Art Studio Some secondary library functions, storage of compact stacks that do notIn: need to be accessed Moves • Classroom daily and group meeting rooms, willExpansion be located on the

LIBRARY

3. MOVE TO STRAYER

66

• Relocate Music • Use underutilized MASTERS SCHOOL, MASTER PLAN REPORT spaces

View of existing Strayer Hall

MUSIC REMAINS OR MOVES OUT

STRAYER HALL

LIBRARY

View of proposed Strayer Hall and Campus Center

IE GATHERING SPACE

MASTERS HALL

“A new library should have various meeting spaces, larger gathering spaces and conference rooms for large meetings” Masters School Head Librarian

‘Big Moves’ idea diagram – ­ Library moves to Strayer Hall MASTERS SCHOOL, MASTER PLAN REPORT

67

second floor of Strayer Hall alongside the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center (IEC).

Library services on the second and third floors combined are 15% larger than the existing library in Masters Hall, allowing more spacious collaborative, multi-purpose areas, flexible seating and working areas for laptops, storage of archival books and exhibition of student work. Moving the library to this central location near the Campus Center and closer to student dormitories is expected to increase the visibility and use of the library. Middle School students, who previously were hesitant to use the library because they needed to walk through Masters Hall to enter the library, will now be able to enjoy the library, located in the building that many Middle School students already visit for music lessons and group practice.

The Innovation & Entrepreneurship Center (IEC) is growing in popularity and academic scope on campus.

Strayer Hall provides a central location for new lab and workshop facilities, including a porch that is visible by the public for robot testing, ample office and computer lab spaces.

FITNESS AREA

OLD GYM

OLD GYM

LIBRARY STACKS

LOBBY

LOBBY

LOBBY

NEW STAIR

LOBBY

LIBRARY

NEW STAIR ENTRANCE FROM MAIN QUAD

MUSIC DEPARTMENT

IEC

MULTI-PURPOSE MEETING ROOM

MULTI-PURPOSE MEETING ROOMS

NEW STAIR

ROBOT PORCH

STRAYER HALL DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS • Reconfigure old Gym lobby and Strayer Hall entrance to access new programs

Strayer Hall, First Floor (Renovation)

Strayer Hall, Second Floor (Renovation)

Strayer Hall, Third Floor (New)

• New vertical circulation to connect third floor addition • Eliminate fire egress pit on the quad and replace with a terrace • Create strong relationship between the Music floor and Fonseca Center courtyard

68

MASTERS SCHOOL, MASTER PLAN REPORT

MASTERS SCHOOL, MASTER PLAN REPORT

69

MASTERS HALL This project will provide much-needed additional classroom space and improve other spaces that lie at the core of a Masters education. It includes improvements to three key academic spaces: the area available for classrooms; the theater and the art studio. The existing library will be converted into six new classrooms, a faculty commons room and offices.

Theater improvements include upgrading sound, projection technology and fly space equipment, alongside a new house floor with increased seating. New seating, wall treatment and passageways will give the Big Ideas: CAMPUS FACILITIES Theater a fresh and modern look.

The Art Studio will be renovated with improved ventilation, ADA accessibility, new storage space and improved thermal performance.

LIBRARY

1. RENOVATE IN PLACE Relocate within or out of Masters:

Masters Hall Graduation Terrace

• Library Conf. Room • Non-student facing Admin + Admissions

Expansion:

• Multi-functional library • Quiet + Social areas

MASTERS HALL DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS • •

2. MOVE ELSEWHERE Make greater use of multiple building entrances IN MASTERS Redesign rear courtyard as an active pedestrian Moves Out: space

CLASSROOM EXPANSION

LIBRARY Theater entrance

MASTERS HALL

Theater house floor

• Theater or Art Studio

• Create more spacious andIn: open lobbies and Moves circulation • Classroom Expansion

RELOCATE THEATER? RELOCATE ART STUDIO?

“The theater needs to have enough capacity for the entire [upper] school. Having a theater for performance is important.”

• Make greater use of the Senior Steps

3. MOVE TO STRAYER • Preserve the historic landscape character • Relocate Music around the building • Use underutilized spaces

Masters School Stakeholder Interviews

‘Big Moves’ idea diagram – ­ Library moves 70

MASTERS SCHOOL, MASTER PLAN REPORTBEYER BLINDER BELLE MATHEWS NIELSEN

DHARAM CONSULTING

Buildings CAMPUS MASTER PLAN - MPC MEETING

MASTERS SCHOOL, MASTER PLAN REPORT

71

MASTERS HALL LIBRARY RENOVATION • New classrooms & faculty commons • Existing offices remain

NEW CLASSROOMS

LOBBY RENOVATION • Transform Faculty Lounge into lobby and waiting area with historic detail

LOBBY

• Expand size of bathrooms • New entrance vestibule

THEATER

ART STUDIO

Art Studio

Library

THEATER RENOVATION • Increase size of theater house • Increase seating capacity and seating quality (new capacity is estimated at 590-620 seats) • Improve sound and performance equipment and wall treatment

ART STUDIO RENOVATION • HVAC & thermal comfort improvements

Proposed First Floor Renovation, Masters Hall

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MASTERS SCHOOL, MASTER PLAN REPORT

• Additional storage • Improve ventilation

“The art studio is the best place on campus” Young Alumnae/i Charrette

“Supply of classrooms does not meet the demand and classes don’t get the right types of spaces.”

Masters School Stakeholder Interviews

MASTERS SCHOOL, MASTER PLAN REPORT

73

CAMPUS CENTER & SERVICE BUILDING The existing Cameron Mann Dining Hall will be renovated into a three-story, multi-purpose Campus Center. The plan includes meeting rooms, offices and indoor and outdoor lounges. The Campus Center will be connected through a tunnel to a new Service Building, the home of future campus operations, loading and storage. Wooden amphitheater steps will replace the existing concrete landscape creating a programmable outdoor corridor for student, faculty and staff use. The Masters Hall parking lot will be redesigned allowing for safer service delivery, additional parking spaces and less impervious surface.

The Dining Hall is the center of life and activity on many campuses, connecting students of different ages, from different departments and those who live 1. faculty RENOVATE EXISTING on campus with those who live throughout the region.

BUILDING The Mann Dining Hall will be adaptively reused to • Expand Capacity create a larger,Dining more open building for recreation, dining • Relocate Kitchen and co-curricular activities. To save costs and reduce • Relocate impacts, IE environmental the project will prioritize reuse of the existing floor slabs, building foundation and interior and exterior columns. The building façade will be replaced BUILDING with a more openON and transparent exterior skin 2. NEW that allows students to view the surrounding buildings SAME SITE and activity and appreciate the outdoors.

Big Ideas: CAMPUS FACILITIES

DINING

Cameron Mann Dining Hall

RELOCATE RELOCATEIEC IE

DINING HALL

Masters:

• New Dining + Kitchen • Demolish existing Kitchen + Dining • Relocate IE

DINING + KITCHEN NEW BUILDING

View of proposed Campus Center, extended Quad and new amphitheater steps

LOADING AREA

View from new third floor of proposed Campus Center ‘Big Moves’ idea diagram – ­ rethinking the Dining Hall 74

MASTERS SCHOOL, MASTER PLAN REPORT

75

CAMPUS CENTER & SERVICE BUILDING, continued The second floor of the Campus Center will remain a Dining Hall, renovated to include an upper kitchen for food preparation and student restrooms. The first floor will be a space for formal and informal student activities, with an indoor-outdoor dining area, ‘grab-n-go’ lunch stations for students and faculty on the run. Outside, the design includes a newly landscaped extended quad with perennial flower beds, café seating, rotating student art exhibits and amphitheater steps for events and outdoor gathering. This re-imagined amphitheater and extended quad allows for a direct connection between the student dorms and Masters Hall, while the new Campus Center provides sweeping views of the historic campus and the Hudson River Valley.

The Campus Center building will be served by an underground tunnel, extending from the lower kitchen in the Campus Center to a new Service Building at the loading dock. The Service Building will include dry storage facilities, central receiving, an accessible materials recovery facility and a five-bay loading dock on the first floor. The second floor will be home to facilities and maintenance offices, overlooking a green roof and the extended campus quad.

CAMPUS CENTER AND SERVICE BUILDING DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS • Create an open pedestrian connection from the student dormitories to Masters Hall

TUNNEL

LOADING DOCK

LOWER KITCHEN MATERIALS MANAGEMENT CENTER

GREEN ROOF UPPER KITCHEN

OFFICES

CAFE & LOUNGE OUTDOOR PLAZA

CAMPUS CENTER

Campus Center and Service Building, First Floor

FACULTY LOUNGE

MEETING ROOMS

DINING AREA

SERVICE BUILDING

SERVICE BUILDING

CAMPUS CENTER

Campus Center and Service Building, Second Floor

CAMPUS CENTER

Campus Center and Service Building, Third Floor

• Connect Kitchen and Service Building with a below-grade tunnel • Maximize views of the landscape and Hudson River Valley • Create usable outdoor gathering spaces

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77

MIDDLE SCHOOL

ESTHERWOOD MANSION

“We need some outdoor spaces to play in, with benches and waiting places with trees.”

“Estherwood should be the jewel of the campus. It has great spaces inside; they are grand, yet intimate.”

Masters School Stakeholder Interviews The Middle School has 12 classrooms, the Great Hall (Doc Wilson Hall) assembly room and common areas for informal gatherings. The building serves more than 160 students in grades fifth through eighth. Renovated in 2005, the building is now overcapacity and would benefit from additional teaching spaces including expanded space for art and music.

The Middle School does not have its own library, however the planned new library in Strayer Hall will serve both Middle and Upper schools.

Middle School students will benefit from a dedicated outdoor play area and a safer, protected waiting area for drop-off and pick-up. The Master Plan recommends improvements to the Middle School landscape, connecting this building to surrounding areas, adding an outdoor play area and improving access to the woodlands.

Masters School Stakeholder Interviews A neo-renaissance building constructed in 1894, Estherwood Mansion is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The building has a full service kitchen on the first floor, and eight faculty apartments on the second and third floors and an unoccupied fourth floor.

Building use has fluctuated over time, and today Estherwood is used for multi-functional purposes such as receptions, performances, student gatherings and outside group retreats. Estherwood has potential for alternative uses, which could potentially generate revenue for the school.

There are many great ideas for future development of Estherwood Mansion, including, but not limited to: Big Ideas: CAMPUS FACILITIES

Proposed Master Plan with Middle School expansion

• Leasing all or parts of the building to a private sector event management company and coordinating schedules between school sponsored and private events

Estherwood Mansion

ESTHERWOOD

• Non-student facing Administration offices

MIDDLE SCHOOL EXPANDS CREATING A SAFE WAITING AND PLAY AREA FOR STUDENTS

• Alumni club room and Alumni meeting spaces EVENTS/GATHERING • Art classrooms and studios or student performance SPACE space

• Possible location for a future Wellness Center, instead of, or supplementing, the Carriage House NON-STUDENT

FACING ADMIN ADMISSIONS

ESTHERWOOD DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS

MIDDLE SCHOOL DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS • Protected waiting area for student pick-up and drop-off • Dedicated outdoor play spaces and open space • Improved visibility and connections to the landscape and woodlands

SHIFT ROAD FOR MIDDLE SCHOOL AND FONSECA CENTER ACCESS

• Redesign pedestrian spaces and gardens around the building • Create better connection to the Carriage House and the Middle School • Restore visibility and access to the historic front entrance • Follow historic preservation standards in accordance with the National Register designation

‘Big Moves’ idea diagram – ­ possible Middle School expansion 78

MASTERS SCHOOL, MASTER PLAN REPORT

RELOCATE FACULTY APARTMENTS

EVENTS SPACE

ESTHERWOOD MANSION

BUSINESS ADVANCEMENT ADMISSIONS HR MASTERS HALL CLASSROOM

‘Big Moves’ idea diagram – ­ Estherwood as an administration EXPANSION?hub LIBRARY

EXPANSION? MASTERS SCHOOL, MASTER PLAN REPORT

79

NEW BUILDING The Master Plan provides a space for future campus expansion by designating a site for a future building whose use is not yet determined. In the short term, this designated future building site will be used as open space, preserving the land for long term development.

This location is a prominent site and will be highly visible. It has a strong relationship to Masters Hall, which is architecturally significant and should be considered in design of the New Building. The New Building site bridges the Middle School and the Upper School, making it an ideal location for multi-generational activities such as music, art or theater. The building also has convenient access from Clinton Avenue, for hosting evening or community events.

The Arts are an important discipline at the Masters School, and one suggested possible program that emerged in the planning process was a multi-disciplinary, multi-generational arts building. This would ultimately free up space in Strayer Hall and in Masters Hall, for other academic purposes in the long term future.

Evans Field

Proposed Master Plan with New Building

NEW BUILDING DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS • Visual and connective relationship to Masters Hall, the Pedestrian Promenade and the Estherwood Mansion

VISUAL ARTS & MUSIC MOVE TO NEW BUILDING

• Defining campus open spaces • Designed for selected uses

“It could be really great to have a crossdivisional building serving grades 5-12; an arts hub where all students could come” Masters School Stakeholder Interviews

• Access from Clinton Avenue for events

‘Big Moves’ idea diagram – ­ future possible program for a new building 80

MASTERS SCHOOL, MASTER PLAN REPORT

MASTERS SCHOOL, MASTER PLAN REPORT

81

CARRIAGE HOUSE Originally constructed in 1894 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places, today the Carriage House is used for storage and as a workshop space for the Facilities Department, with some Facilities offices and one Faculty apartment. The Carriage House grounds contain storage containers housing maintenance equipment and construction supplies.

This building, situated in a beautiful part of the Lower Campus, could be the future home of a Wellness Center.

Wellness Center activities include, but are not limited to a greenhouse, aerobic or meditation rooms, community meeting rooms for lectures or group discussions and office space. This new Center could offer quiet and serene outdoor classroom space, with a community entrance on Estherwood Avenue, for evening and weekend programs.

Existing Carriage House

NEW USE FOR CARRIAGE HOUSE?

CARRIAGE HOUSE DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS • Maximize use of large, historic interior spaces • Create pedestrian open space and indoor-outdoor connections

View of proposed outdoor patio at the Wellness Center

• Restore building access on Estherwood Avenue • Follow historic preservation standards in accordance with the National Register designation

‘Big Moves’ idea diagram – ­ increase Carriage House use 82

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83

6 Sustainability

Pieris japonica (Japanese Pieris) shrub at the Masters School, 2016

A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE

Laura Danforth, Head of School

Designing for a sustainable future is important to the Masters School. The Campus Master Plan embraces this value by envisioning a future campus that is pedestrian friendly, increasing opportunities to connect with nature and promoting mental and physical health and wellbeing. The design of the Campus Master Plan builds on and enhances a range of sustainability projects and programs already underway at Masters. For example, the school has recently expanded its recycling program and the Master Plan continues this initiative by establishing a materials reuse center in the proposed Service Building. The EFFECT student group meets regularly to help incorporate sustainable practices into school operations and engage the school community in these efforts. During the planning process the design team was able to meet with this group to discuss their long term vision and projects. At the February 2017 Masters Matters Symposium students, parents, faculty, staff and alumnae/i gathered to discuss sustainability as an issue of importance to both the Masters community and the planet.

While the Master Plan does integrate sustainable design strategies at a site scale, it does not serve as a Sustainability Plan. This report and the recommendations on the following pages should

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MASTERS SCHOOL, MASTER PLAN REPORT

be considered a foundation upon which to build and implement future sustainability initiatives. The Master Plan recommends establishing a leadership team responsible for the sustainability planning process and implementation of these important physical, operational and policy sustainability strategies.

This chapter expands on the sustainable design strategies featured in Chapter 2, introducing a wide range of site and building scale sustainability opportunities that should be considered moving forward. Some of the strategies featured in this chart are strongly recommended and integrated into the Campus Master Plan. Other strategies are not integrated into the Master Plan but highly recommended for future implementation. A third group of strategies are important, but not critical from the perspective of the design team and are listed as low priority recommendations. The following criteria were used to assess each strategy and develop high and low priority recommendations;

EXISTING SUSTAINABILITY PROJECTS AND PROGRAMS AT THE MASTERS SCHOOL • Use of woodlands by athletics and academic departments • Application for LEED BD&C v2009 Gold Certification for the Fonseca Center • Improved split-level heating and cooling units piloted in the Girls Dorms

G

• EFFECT, a student-run Sustainability Committee meets regularly in Morris Hall

D C

• 2017 Masters Matters Symposium on sustainability • Appointment of the first Green Dean at the Masters School in 2017

C

• Use of Estherwood garden by student and faculty groups

• Applicability in new or existing spaces

• Regular walking outdoors between classes and for recreation

• Points awarded for USGBC and WELL Building Standard sustainability certification schemes

• Eliminating plastic water bottles in the Athletics Department

• Available Federal and State subsidies or technical support • Required maintenance

• Expanded recycling containers in campus building and establishing a compost program in the Dining Hall

• Support of Master Plan goals and planning principles

• Boiler conversion from oil to natural gas

As a thought leader within the community and given that Dobbs Ferry is a New York State Dept. of Environmental Conservation certified Climate Smart Community, the Masters School is positioned to play a leading role in sustainability practice, education and research. These recommendations should be considered in future planning efforts, helping the school design for a sustainable future.

E

Estherwood Avenue

B

Broadway

“We are thinking carefully about how to ensure these efforts extend beyond the academic calendar and become ingrained in who we are as a school.”

A Cl i

n to

nA ve n

ue

F

• Replacement of Hill House dorm windows for improved energy efficiency

A

Materials Reuse Center

B

Possible building sustainability certification

C

Rationalized circulation and parking garage (reduced carbon emissions)

D

Historic preservation

E

Low impact classroom and Enhanced woodland trails

F

Tree education on Clinton Ave

G

Expanded indoor/outdoor greenhouse and compost New landscaped gardens Outdoor art Universally accessible Wandering & Wondering paths

0'

200'FT

N N

Sustainable design elements recommended in the Campus Master Plan

Environmentally sensitive outdoor lighting Shaded seating

MASTERS SCHOOL, MASTER PLAN REPORT

87

●

●

●

Occupancy sensors (interior & exterior)

●

●

LED Lighting

●

●

Demand Response or Building Management System (BMS) optimization

●

●

Improved building insulation & appropriate building shading

●

●

Geothermal energy

●

●

Campus wide (district) heating/ cooling from renewable energy

●

● ●

●

●

Hybrid/electric/biofuel vehicle fleet

●

●

●

●

EV Charging Stations

●

●

●

Raise awareness about sustainability efforts

●

●

●

Provide healthy food items on campus and in vending machines

●

●

●

●

●

Encourage use of landscape/ outdoor space to enhance physical/ mental wellbeing

●

●

●

●

●

●

Offer sustainability as an academic or co-curricular course

●

●

●

●

●

Begin a data analysis group to help monitor sustainability efforts

●

●

Outdoor classroom for use across disciplines

●

●

●

Daylighting & Improved Views

●

●

●

Future Net Zero energy building or Triple Net Zero

●

●

●

●

●

●

$800/kW for ConEd demand response enablement

●

ConEd’s C&I NYSERDA’s PON 1601

●

ConEd’s C&I NYSERDA’s PON 1601

●

MOBILITY

● ●

● Net Zero Studies funded (80%) through NYSERDA’s PON 1601

●

& EDUCATION

●

HIGH

LOW

COMMUNITY

●

HIGH

Create a campus wellness center

●

ED LU D INC

●

●

●

IN MA ST NO ER TI HIG NC PL AN L H P UD R I O ED RIT IN Y R MA NO EC STE OM R TI LO NC M E PL A W LU ND N & PR D E AT IO IO RIT D IN N M YR A EC STE OM R M E PL A ND N & AT IO N

T OR PP SU IAL NC I NA EF IBL SS

●

●

ConEd’s C&I

PO

OP

ER

AT IO

N NO VA TIO

NS &P OP OL PO I CY EN R T GA U N GE I T ME Y F NT OR AC AD EM US IC GB ST C L A N EE DA D RD OR SY W E N E LL RG B U Y I LD LO ING W MA INT EN AN CE

IO CT RU RE

ST CO N W NE

ST ST AI NA RA T E B I LI T GY Y

CO S

T

LU D INC

SU

Priority parking for shared and hybrid vehicles

●

●

●

N

ED IN MA ST NO ER TI HIG NC PL AN H P LUD R I O ED RIT IN Y R MA NO EC STE OM R TI PL N C M E PL A A L ND N & RE N & UDE AT CO LO D IO MM W IN M N P EN R I O A S TE DA R TIO IT Y R N

T OR PP SU IAL NC I NA SS

IBL

EF

LOW

Improve accessibility, design & location of pedestrian walkways

Enhanced Indoor Air Quality

MASTERS SCHOOL, MASTER PLAN REPORT

NYSERDA’s NY-Sun ConEd’s C&I

●

●

●

PO

OP

ER

AT IO

N NO VA TIO

Automatic dimming lights (interior & exterior)

Green Power & Carbon Offsets

88

NS &P OP OL P I CY EN O R T GA U N GE M E IT Y F NT OR AC AD EM US IC GB ST C L A N EE DA D RD OR SY W E N E LL RG B U Y I LD LO ING W MA INT EN AN CE

N RU ST CO N W

●

Enhanced Building Commissioning HIGH

RE

SU

CT

IO

ENERGY

NE

ST ST AI NA RA T E B I LI T GY Y

T CO S

LOW

Solar lighting poles & scoreboards

● ●

●

NYSERDA ChargeNY Program

● ● ● ● ● ●

●

● ●

●

● MASTERS SCHOOL, MASTER PLAN REPORT

89

Drip irrigation

●

●

Drought tolerant & low maintenance plant species

●

● ●

Use of no mow fescue/lawns

●

Heat Island reduction through altering surface color and treatment

●

Improve outdoor comfort with shading & seating

●

●

●

Increased garden areas

●

Low-impact site storm water management Conservation policy/ protection of natural ecosystems

MASTERS SCHOOL, MASTER PLAN REPORT

●

●

●

●

●

● ●

●

●

●

●

●

MATERIALS

●

●

●

●

●

●

●

HIGH

● ●

●

Low flow fixtures

●

●

●

●

Solar hot water heating for residences

●

●

●

●

Rain water reuse

●

●

Grey or black water treatment & reuse

●

●

●

●

●

ED

IN MA ST NO ER TI HIG NC PL AN L H P UD R I O ED RIT IN Y R MA NO EC STE OM R TI LO NC M E PL A W LU ND N & PR D E AT IO IO RIT D IN N M YR A EC STE OM R M E PL A ND N & AT IO N

T OR PP SU IAL NC I NA EF

LU D

IBL

INC

SS PO

OP

ER

AT IO

N

NS &P OP OL PO I CY EN R T GA U N GE I T ME Y F NT OR AC AD EM US IC GB ST C L A N EE DA D RD OR SY W E N E LL RG B U Y I LD LO ING W MA INT EN AN CE

CT NO VA TIO

CO N

ST

RU RE

SU

W

T CO S

LOW

NE

ED INC

LU D

WATER

HIGH

●

●

●

ST ST AI NA RA T E B I LI T GY Y

IO

N

IN MA ST NO ER TI HIG NC PL AN L H P UD R I O ED RIT IN Y R MA NO EC STE OM R TI LO NC M E PL A W LU ND N & PR D E AT IO IO RIT D IN N M YR A EC STE OM R M E PL A ND N & AT IO N

T OR PP SU IAL NC I NA IBL

EF

●

● ●

●

● ●

●

●

●

LOW

● ●

●

SS

●

●

● ●

Dark-sky-design & appropriate site lighting

●

PO

ER

●

Green Pest Management or Integrated Pest Management Policy

Enhance use of woodlands

90

OP

●

Integrate community garden into campus curriculum & operations

HIGH

AT IO

N

●

NS &P OP OL PO I CY EN R T GA U N GE I T ME Y F NT OR AC AD EM US IC GB ST C L A N EE DA D RD OR SY W E N E LL RG B U Y I LD LO ING W MA INT EN AN CE

N NO VA TIO

W

CO N

ST

RU RE

SU

CT

IO

LANDSCAPE

NE

ST ST AI NA RA T E B I LI T GY Y

T CO S

LOW

Small scale low-impact storm water management (rain gardens, green roofs and swales)

● ● ● ●

NYSERDA ChargeNY Program

Green-cleaning

●

●

Reduce food waste in dining areas

●

●

Eliminate plastic bottles and disposable food packaging

●

●

●

●

E-waste Recycling

●

●

●

●

Expand existing compost program

●

Optimized sound attenuation (acoustics)

●

Materials reuse center located in a visible & interactive place

●

Use of reclaimed materials in construction and demolition material recycling

●

●

● ●

●

●

●

●

●

● ●

●

●

● ●

●

●

● MASTERS SCHOOL, MASTER PLAN REPORT

91

FINANCING SUSTAINABILITY There are a variety of state and federal programs available to support sustainability investments. The following programs are recommended for consideration by the Masters School.

NYSERDA NY-SUN PROGRAM The NY-Sun Incentive Program provides sliding scale financial incentives to help reduce the installation costs associated with solar electric systems. The incentives are built around customized megawatt (MW) blocks tied to specific regions of New York State. Subsidy values vary based on building sector, location and size, ranging between $0.07/W & $0.60/W. NY-Sun partners with lenders to help small business and not-for-profit organizations access up to $100,000 in financing at a below-market interest rate.

In these partnerships, NYSERDA offers 50% of the project cost, up to $50,000, at 2% interest and the participating lender provides the remainder of the loan at the market interest rate. Borrowers make loan payments directly to their lender like a typical loan.

https://www.nyserda.ny.gov/All-Programs/Programs/ NY-Sun/Customers/Solar-Financing-Options CONED COMMERCIAL & INDUSTRIAL ENERGY EFFICIENCY PROGRAM (C&I) ConEdison offers cash incentives for installing electric and gas energy efficient equipment and technologies. The program provides cash rebates and incentives to encourage and facilitate the completion of energy efficiency projects.

Incentives are a flat rate of $0.16 per kWh saved on most energy project types. There is a cap of $1,000,000 per electric account & $250,000 per gas account and incentives are limited to 50% of total investment. Projects must pay Systems Benefits Charge (SBC) and get pre-approval from ConEd prior to starting the program.

http://commercial.coned.com/incentives-and-rebates/

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MASTERS SCHOOL, MASTER PLAN REPORT

NYSERDA COMMERCIAL NEW CONSTRUCTION PROGRAM (PON 1601) NYSERDA PON 1601 support offsets a portion of capital costs to purchase and install energy efficient equipment that reduces energy consumption in new and renovated commercial buildings. Technical assistance from Project Managers and regionally based consultants is also available to help analyze efficiency opportunities early in the design process. Additional support for green building opportunities is also available. There are three options available to the Masters School.

Option 1, Custom Measure • $0.10 per kWh saved; $275 per peak kW saved • $30,000-$1,000,000 of support available per project Option 2, Whole Building • ERDA, increase support by 10% up to $25k Option 3, Green Buildings Bonus • $0.20/sf up to $75,000 http://programs.dsireusa.org/system/program/detail/665

ADDITIONAL FUNDING RESOURCES North Carolina Clean Energy Technology Center publishes the Database of State Incentives for Renewables and Efficiency (DSIRE) cataloging renewable energy policies and incentives in all 50 states and U.S. territories. http://www.dsireusa.org/ The Taproot Foundation is the nation’s largest nonprofit consulting organization. Experienced, pro-bono consultants volunteering with the Taproot Foundation can help with grant applications and financial planning for sustainability investments. https://taprootfoundation.org/about-probono/taprootoffices/new-york-office-0 New York City Energy Efficiency Corporation (NYCEEC) is a non-profit specialty finance company that develops financial solutions to enable projects which save energy or reduce greenhouse gas emissions. NYCEEC focuses on efficiency projects ranging from $30k to $6M. http://nyceec.com/

New York State Charter School Stimulus Fund (SSF) Grants provide a maximum award of $200,000 for charter school facility projects. The grant prioritizes facilities for schools outside of New York City and preference points are available for schools with strong academic performance as well as those applicants proposing a project that focuses on the visual or performing arts. http://www.newyorkcharters.org/operate/grantopportunities/new-york-state-stimulus-fund-grants/ The Department of Energy (DOE) Better Buildings program provides financing opportunities for energy efficiency projects. https://betterbuildingssolutioncenter.energy.gov/ financing-navigator

WELL Building Standard A performance based system for measuring, certifying and monitoring features of the built environment that impact human health and wellbeing, through air, water, nourishment, light, fittness, comfort and mind. https://www.wellcertified.com/

United States Green Building Council (USGBC), LEED v4 Certification for Schools LEED for schools recognizes the unique nature of the design and construction of K-12 schools, addressing issues such as classroom acoustics, master planning, mold prevention and environmental site assessment. http://www.usgbc.org/credits/schools---newconstruction/v4

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7 Phasing

Estherwood Mansion Veranda, 2016

PHASING The Campus Master Plan will be realized over a number of years, with two primary phases and a number of independent projects that can be implemented at any time. The plan will be used, alongside the 2015-2020 Strategic Plan, the Buildings Assessment Report and the annual budgeting processes, as a tool to make informed, coordinated, decisions about campus investments, programmatic growth and management and maintenance of the physical landscape. The plan focuses on capital projects and new space needs and does not address regular maintenance and facility upgrades; these needs are reviewed separately through the annual facilities renewal budgeting process.

This chapter provides a timeline to guide the prioritization of recommended projects in the Master Plan, and identifies relationships between projects within the same phase, as well as among projects across phases. The phasing shown here represents the priorities identified by the planning process in consultation with the administration, trustees and Master Plan Committee. Project phasing is adaptable and may be adjusted over time as needs and priorities change, however certain projects are dependent on others before they can occur. These dependencies are described in this chapter to aid in project planning.

A key recommendation for project phasing is to implement landscape, circulation and parking projects in concert with or parallel to building projects, to ensure that as new or expanded programs activate different parts of the campus, that they are accessible and surrounded by improved and revitalized open spaces.

Therefore, each phase includes a combination of different project types.

PHASE 1 [SHORT TERM]

PHASE 2 [LONG TERM]

0-5 years

5-10 years

ACADEMIC CORE PACKAGE

CAMPUS CENTER PACKAGE

1

Lower Campus road work, parking deck and landscape improvements

2

Strayer Hall renovation and new third floor

3

Masters Hall library, theater and art studio

5

Upper Campus parking lot improvements

5

Temporary dining hall, new Campus Center and Service Building

6

Upper Campus landscape improvements and convert Reunion field to turf

i

7

10

1

6

8 4

6

1

22

INDEPENDENT PROJECTS 9

7

Carriage House renovation

8

Middle School expansion

10

Loop road construction

9

Multi-purpose arts building

4

Estherwood renovation

5

0'

6

Woodlands revitalization

5

3

INDEPENDENT PROJECTS

200'FT

N

Proposed Master Plan 96

MASTERS SCHOOL, MASTER PLAN REPORT

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97

PHASE 1: CORE ACADEMIC SPACES AND CIRCULATION IMPROVEMENTS

PHASE 2: A NEW HUB FOR CAMPUS LIFE

The first phase places the highest priority on meeting core academic needs, both to increase capacity of teaching and learning spaces and to transform outdated facilities. Accordingly, it focuses on the core campus in and around Masters Hall, and enables the creation of new classrooms, a relocated and reimagined Library, an expanded Theater, a renovated Art Studio, a new space for the Department of Music and an expanded Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center. In addition, Phase 1 includes the main traffic circulation and parking changes that will increase safety and access, realize the vision of a car-free campus core, establish new green spaces and paths to connect upper and lower campus and dramatically transform the sense of arrival.

As Phase 1 projects are implemented, a number of issues should be considered as described below.

While the three projects are identified as critical in transforming the overall campus experience, there is flexibility in how they get implemented over time. The Lower Campus improvements can occur independent of the Strayer Hall and Masters Hall renovations depending on the capital campaign and changing priorities. As Phase 1 projects are implemented, the following issues should be considered:

Phase 2 builds on the Phase 1 academic priorities to address the outmoded Cameron Mann Dining Hall, which is no longer adequate to meet the dining and campus life needs of the school. Replacing the Dining Hall with a new, multipurpose Campus Center will transform campus life for students, faculty and staff and create new spaces to serve alumni and guests.

In parallel, the Service Building and new parking will modernize support needs and eliminate vehicle/ pedestrian conflicts in a high-traffic area. As Phase 2 projects are implemented, the following issues should be considered:

STRAYER HALL PARKING GARAGE

MASTERS HALL

REUNION FIELD CAMPUS CENTER

SERVICE BUILDING

PARKING LOT

UPPER CAMPUS PARKING AND LANDSCAPE

NEW ROAD

• Consolidation of tennis courts to create additional parking space • Designing truck access to minimize conflicts with pedestrians and parking

Phase 1 projects

Phase 2 projects

• Enabling pedestrian access between the Girls Dorms and Clinton Avenue • Maintaining service and loading access to Masters Hall during and after construction • Protection of mature trees

LOWER CAMPUS ROADS, PARKING DECK AND LANDSCAPE

STRAYER HALL RENOVATION AND NEW THIRD FLOOR

MASTERS HALL CLASSROOMS, THEATER AND ART STUDIO

• Traffic and civil engineering requirements for new roads and parking

• Acoustic separation between Music and other functions

• Further study of drop-off and pickup requirements for buses and cars

• Swing space for Music during construction if needed

• Temporary location for morning meetings & performances while the existing Theater is being renovated

• Coordination of a relocated Clinton Avenue curb cut, Estherwood Avenue two-way access and the demapping of Cochran Avenue with the Village of Dobbs Ferry

• Relocation of the laundry facility

• Reuse of the McKnight Room and interim deficit of student social space

• Reconfiguration of Strayer Gym to accommodate the Fitness Center

• Temporary location for the Faculty Lounge until the Campus Center is built

• ADA accessibility of new paths

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• Type of surface treatment (natural or artificial) most appropriate for Reunion Field CAMPUS CENTER AND SERVICE BUILDING • Use of a temporary dining facility on Reunion Field, including temporary service access • Impacts to existing campus infrastructure lines • Feasibility of reusing structural elements of the Dining Hall for the new Campus Center • Interim circulation connections between the Girls Dorms, Hill Houses and core campus

Harvard Business School temporary dining hall, exterior

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INDEPENDENT PROJECTS

PHASING SEQUENCE

The independent projects are concentrated on the lower campus, shifting the focus as the upper campus projects are completed to include the revitalization of some of the most historically significant buildings on campus. These projects are likely to occur on individual timelines, as needs and opportunities arise, rather than in a phased manner. However, several of the independent projects cannot be implemented prior to the completion of the Phase 1 lower campus roads and landscape. As Independent projects are implemented, the following issues should be considered:

Phase 1

LOOP ROAD

CARRIAGE HOUSE RENOVATION • Coordinate the renovation with the timing of the Service Building project to allow the facilities spaces to be relocated

Fonseca Center Parking garage

Softball Field relocated

New Road in Lower Campus

Lower Campus Landscape

Strayer Hall renovation

Library relocated

CARRIAGE HOUSE

ESTHERWOOD MANSION

Tennis Courts

New classrooms in Library

MIDDLE SCHOOL

• Further define the Wellness Center program and confirm the location in the Carriage House • Address the faculty residential space in the Carriage House as part of a renovation plan

WOODS REVITALIZATION

Phase 2

Masters Hall Parking Lot

Upper Campus Landscape

Master Hall Theater expansion Master Hall Art studio improvement

NEW BUILDING

Temporary Dining Hall

Temporary Building

Campus Center & Service Building

ESTHERWOOD RENOVATION • Study feasibility of renovation and associated costs to meet code, life safety, accessibility and historic preservation requirements • Maintain connectivity from the Greene Family Field to the core campus MIDDLE SCHOOL EXPANSION

Independent projects

Independent projects – ­ can be executed at any time

Woodland Renovation

Loop Road

• Maintain a dedicated drop-off during all phases • Maintain a safe and accessible pedestrian connection to the core campus during all phases

Estherwood renovation

Carriage House renovation

Middle School expansion

New Building

LOOP ROAD • Ensure road can support wide maintenance and service vehicles and limit bus activity

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8 The Way Forward

REALIZING A MASTER PLAN The Campus Master Plan is a roadmap for decisionmaking about the future implementation of individual projects at the Masters School. Within this roadmap, the plan works in accordance with the Guiding Principles and a comprehensive vision for the campus, each part reinforcing the whole, advancing the school’s identity, functionality and mission. The plan ensures that each project meets immediate needs of the school, but also has a ripple effect on its surroundings, improving connectivity and transforming significant areas of campus. Each project is designed with both an internal set of program needs and an external set of goals reflecting the project affects campus wide patterns of circulation flow, community gathering spaces, landscape and sustainability objectives. For The Masters School, the projects proposed in this plan create major opportunities to re-imagine large areas of campus, revealing and celebrating historic architecture, natural features and pastoral views.

The Master Plan is a conceptual illustration, and not a fixed view of exactly how each part should be designed or what the precise space needs are for each

building. The designs shown here will evolve and change to meet specific program and budget criteria as these are become better understood over time. As individual projects are developed, the Master Plan serves as a guide, or a set of external planning goals that should be maintained, even as the design for each project may evolve significantly beyond what is shown in this document.

Building on the conceptual work featured in this Master Plan, each project should be advanced by separate feasibility studies. Road and landscape projects should prioritize consultation of civil and traffic engineering consultants, while building projects will require detailed programming studies to confirm space needs and availability. All projects will require a design process that references and builds upon Master Plan concepts, refining project scope, budget and design requirements. An appropriately qualified design team should be engaged by The Masters School to develop each individual project through these next steps, working closely with relevant departmental faculty, staff and school leadership.

To maintain continuity of Master Plan goals over many years, it is recommended that a process be defined for coordinating project development with campus planning criteria. A campus planning review process can take many forms, but some possible examples include:

HILL HOUSES FACULTY APARTMENTS

FACULTY HOUSES FONSECA CENTER

• Future architects and designers receive the Master Plan Report and an initial orientation to campus planning issues, followed by additional coordination sessions as a design is developed.

• A campus planning committee is organized to hold regular or ad hoc meetings, to provide feedback on project designs, and to maintain or if needed, revisit and adapt the Master Plan vision and priorities.

• A design review process provides formalized feedback on individual project designs by designated staff or external professionals, according to pre-determined criteria.

GIRLS DORMS

STRAYER HALL

CAMPUS CENTER

SERVICE BUILDING MORRIS HALL MIDDLE SCHOOL

MASTERS HALL

CARRIAGE HOUSE

ESTHERWOOD MANSION

NEW BUILDING

nt Cl i

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n Ave

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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The design team is grateful for the open and enthusiastic engagement of the Masters School community throughout the planning process. The members of the Master Plan Committee generously contributed their time and expertise, providing thoughtful guidance and dialogue to shape the plan and advance key decisions. Students, faculty, and staff have been a critical part of the process, providing feedback to inform the plan and diverse perspectives on the campus experience from those who use its spaces every day, and which for many is their home. Most importantly, the school community has helped the design team gain a deep understanding of the Masters School culture and core values of diversity, sustainability and integrity.

MASTER PLAN COMMITTEE MEMBERS Marc Holliday P’16 & ’20 Ed Biddle Fred Brettschneider P’19 Edith Chapin ’83 Jonathan Clay, P’19 Laura Danforth Tim Kane P’15 & ’20 Tracy Limpe ’80, P’19 Rafael Pelli P’21 MASTERS SCHOOL COMMUNITY MEMBERS Rosaria Golden Craig Dunne Kevin Versen P’13 Karin O’Connor Mary May and students of the AP Environmental Studies class who assisted in traffic counts

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The Masters School was fortunate to have assistance from a team of sustainability experts at SL Green Realty Corporation. These individuals, listed below, worked with school leadership and the design team to evaluate guiding principles and sustainable design features in the Master Plan, recommending a range of future sustainability strategies for consideration by the school.

Marc Holliday, Chief Executive Officer Elizabeth Majkowski, Director of Sustainability Evin Epstein, Sustainability Associate, SL Green Realty Corporation IMAGE CREDITS Unless otherwise noted, photographs in this report are the property of The Masters School. Images in this booklet are not intended for publication and/or commercial use.

Printed on recycled paper.

BEYER BLINDER BELLE ARCHITECTS & PLANNERS MATHEWS NIELSEN LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTS DHARAM CONSULTING