Webb Schools Case Study - 2026 by Page & Turnbull

CASE STUDY/ The Webb Schools

PRICE

The Webb Schools, founded in 1922, is a co-ed boarding school set on 150 acres in Claremont, CA. Webb has a 75-person faculty and an enrollment of about 400 students in grades 9-12.

COPELAND DONAHUE THEATER

DINING HALL

SUSAN A. NELSON PERFORMING ARTS CENTER

KIMBERLEY TOWER BELL AT VIVIAN WEBB CHAPEL

TAYLOR B. STOCKDALE COMMUNITY CENTER

LES PERRY GYMNASIUM

ALF MUSEUM

BONNIE JOHNSON HALL

CHARLES HUANG INNOVATION WING AT FAWCETT LIBRARY

The Webb Schools

Page & Turnbull has been working at The Webb Schools since 2005. While our first project was designing a new building—the Copeland Donahue Theater—most of our work has been rehabilitating and modernizing buildings and spaces to accommodate Webb’s growth and vision.

HOLT, REYNOLDS, MACLEOD, AND APPLEBY DORM RENOVATIONS

COPELAND DONAHUE THEATER NEW BUILDING

PRICE DINING HALL SERVERY RENOVATIONS

ALAMO DORMITORY INTERIOR RENOVATIONS

CLASSROOM BUILDING CONCEPT DESIGN

BURGESON RESIDENCE RENOVATION CONCEPT DESIGN

SUSAN A. NELSON PERFORMING ARTS CENTER RENOVATION AND EXPANSION

LES PERRY GYMNASIUM FEASIBILITY STUDY AND CODE ANALYSIS

ALAMO DORMITORY EXTERIOR RENOVATION

TAYLOR B. STOCKDALE COMMUNITY CENTER REHABILITATION

DORMITORY SPRINKLER INSTALLATION

BONNIE JOHNSON HALL

LABORATORY CLASSROOM AND ALF MUSEUM STORAGE ADDITION

KIMBERLEY TOWER BELL SUPPORT RETROFIT AT VIVIAN WEBB CHAPEL

MASTER PLANNING CONSULTATION

APPLEBY AND JAMESON DORMITORIES REMODEL

CHARLES HUANG INNOVATION WING AT FAWCETT LIBRARY

HEAD OF SCHOOL RESIDENCE REMODEL

LES PERRY GYMNASIUM REHABILITATION

2020 2025

TAYLOR B. STOCKDALE COMMUNITY CENTER, 2021:

Originally built as a gym in 1931, our renovation and adaptive reuse of the building has created a new community and student center.

Before the rehabilitation and renovation, Stockdale (recently renamed from Hooper Community Center) lacked a connection with the outside.

By adding windows, doors, and plaza enhancements, the Center is airy, light-filled, and well-used.

TAYLOR B. STOCKDALE COMMUNITY CENTER, 2021: Virtually every student passes through Stockdale daily, whether to hang out and DM with friends or to catch up on school work.

TAYLOR B. STOCKDALE COMMUNITY CENTER, 2021: Passive ventilation, improved insulation and windows, controlled lighting, and efficient heating/cooling systems were part of an effective sustainability program.

In addition to day-to-day activities, the space is flexible; able to accommodate a range of programming from school assemblies, to seating for movies and gaming nights, or small performances.

LARGE EVENT SMALL PERFORMANCE

TAYLOR B. STOCKDALE COMMUNITY CENTER, 2021: The building was renovated in the 1980s, and the outdoor space to the south became a utility zone. Page & Turnbull removed the chimney, reinstituted a stair to the second floor, created a covered entrance, and installed windows. The façade helps maximize daylight and minimize heat gain.

BEFORE HISTORIC

COPELAND DONAHUE THEATER, 2008: Webb wanted to enhance their performing arts program. Page & Turnbull’s first project for Webb was a new experimental, black box theater with flexible seating for 50. The theater, nestled into the hillside, provides indoor and outdoor performance spaces. The design incorporates a tower, a common design element on the campus.

BEFORE

SUSAN A. NELSON PERFORMING ARTS CENTER, 2013: Page & Turnbull transformed this 1971 auditorium into a performing arts center that accommodates a range of theater, dance, and orchestra performances.

By capturing unused space, we increased seating from 300 (pictured below) to 400 by adding a balcony. The rehabilitation included a new lobby with gallery space, choral and instrumental rehearsal rooms, individual practice rooms, dressing rooms, and faculty offices.

RAYMOND M. ALF MUSEUM OF PALEONTOLOGY, 2024: Landscape improvements at the Alf Museum included the design of an accessibility ramp integrated into an existing sloped landscape. The switch-back path is defined by a stone and Corten steel wall that draws from Webbs’ existing materials palette.

BONNIE JOHNSON HALL, 2025: Ahmanson Lecture Hall, a tiered lecture hall built in 1965 was seldom in use, so the Webb Schools decided to convert it into Bonnie Johnson Hall, a state-of-the-art general science teaching laboratory on the first floor and integrated storage to support the Alf Museum of Paleontology on the lower level.

BONNIE JOHNSON HALL, 2025: The transformation from lecture hall into a 1,250 sq ft science lab and 850 sq ft storage space was accomplished in nine months. A pair of existing doors was relocated, and a 12-foot-long bank of windows was added to provide daylight and a connection with the campus. Solatube skylights were added to reduce energy consumption and materials were salvaged and reused when possible. The storage space provides 380 linear feet of large object shelf space— seismically reinforced and strengthened—to accommodate dinosaur bones and other prehistoric artifacts.

CHARLES HUANG INNOVATION WING, 2025: The Charles Huang Innovation Wing is a dynamic space to inspire and empower students in STEM, innovation, and creative problem-solving. A unique design feature was the placement of mirrors above the Huang Wing’s entry canopy. The five 3’6” x 7’6” mirrors reflect the Main Reading Room’s beamed ceiling, make the library seem larger and increase daylight.

Made possible by a generous grant from the Charles Huang Foundation, the space is divided into three primary areas: the Innovation Space, two 22-student classrooms, and an innovative technology suite. Originally, the space housed classrooms, storage and administrative uses.

Flexible Space/VR Room 3D and Digital Lab

CHARLES HUANG INNOVATION WING, 2025: The Innovation Space includes a flexible classroom and a conference room that share a folding glass wall. The When the wall is opened, the space can accommodate 8-10 students for augmented and virtual reality. When the wall is closed, one space can be used as a 22-student classroom and the other as a 10-person conference or collaboration space.

The technology suite includes 3D printers, a CNC machine, a robotic arm, a sound booth, and a separate video room with five workstations equipped with high-performance Mac Studio computer stations that allow for professional editing and more.

Classroom

A new main welcome and reference desk is designed to enhance the library staff workspace, improve sightlines of the main entrance and into the reading room, and meet ADA regulations. The desk, clad in hemlock, is contemporary, evoking the style and materiality of the original library.

TRUSTED PARTNER: Page & Turnbull works with Webb on capital projects, like Stockdale, and on smaller and deferred maintenance projects that are tackled when the campus isn’t as full.

ALAMO DORMITORY, 2008 & 2016: Page & Turnbull addressed accsessibility, improved connectivity, and upgraded furnishings and finishes.

PRICE DINING HALL, 2010: Page & Turnbull completed renovations to the dining hall and servery that improved cooking, serving, and circulation. The work included new kitchen equipment, MEP systems, and furnishings.

HEAD OF SCHOOL HOUSE, 2025: The Head of School house is undertaking a series of deferred maintenance projects, the first of which replaced the original singlepaned windows with similar profile, thermal efficient windows that retain the Midcentury Modern aesthetic.

LES PERRY GYMNASIUM, 2025: Webb improved the 9,000 sq ft Les Perry Gym, which still had its original floor, lobby, and bleachers, to enhance the user experience and to improve their competitive edge. The project—completed for $3M and within a three-month schedule—includes a new floor and sprinkler system, planar LED screens and lighting, additional bleacher seating, and an updated entry with an outdoor plaza and trophy display area.

BEFORE

The lobby was upgraded and increased by 111 sq ft to improve circulation and a create a welcoming gathering space. It was designed to accomodate future retail kiosks for fan gear and Webb merchandise.

Improvements to the trophy display area created a ‘destination’ rather than an ad hoc collection of awards. The new display system includes adjustable shelves with Phantom Ultra AC Series LED lighting integrated for flexible display options. Wiring and display space was provided for the future installation of a touch screen digital trophy and hall of fame monitor by Rocket Alumni Solutions.

Removing the gender specific restrooms and creating a gender inclusive restroom that meets the required fixture count and were ADA compliant. The gender inclusive restroom allowed additional public space in the lobby.

Page & Turnbull imagines change in our built environment with a focus on cultivating thriving, sustainable, and resilient communities.

We collaborate with our clients and stakeholders, understand their needs and aspirations, and design buildings, spaces, and places that inspire learning, invite exploration, and build community.

For more than 50 years, our focus has been on designing within existing and historic environments and creating cultural touchstones that serve the way we live today while anticipating future needs.