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St. Benedict Hall Transforms the Delbarton Experience
St. Benedict Hall
Transforms the Delbarton Experience
By Jessica Fiddes
O
n March 2, 2020, astheglObalpandeMicstruckthe united states, delbarton took a step few institutions in 2020 would dare to contemplate. We broke ground on a 19,953 square foot addition to trinity hall, a bold leap of faith during an unprecedently challenging time.
thirteen months later, on april 13, 2021, the first students strolled from trinity hall into st. benedict hall, the most transformative space on delbarton campus since the 2006 opening of the Fine arts center. the building reflects the vision and aspirations of two delbarton headmasters, br. paul diveny and our current leader Fr. Michael tidd.
included in its sleek structural package are functional, flexible spaces packed with modern technology that offer a world of possibilities for collaboration, conversation,
— Fr. Michael Tidd
The Tour Begins… Exiting the Student Commons, we pass the new Learning Resources Center, with separate rooms for Math and Writing Resource Centers. Delbarton has always offered this extra help but, beginning in fall semester 2021, these Centers will be open from 7:30 am to 4:30 pm for extra help guided by teachers and student volunteers.
Now, let’s enter St. Benedict Hall on the first floor. Note that the building, which includes an elevator, is directly accessible on two levels from Trinity Hall and from exterior doors to the east and west. The hallway leading from Trinity to St. Benedict Hall displays student art that was previously exhibited in random places on campus. Seeing the work of talented Delbarton students exhibited together is another unexpected treat.
In 2019, the administration surveyed Delbarton students for their wish list of suggestions for the new library. Most boys expressed a preference for two kinds of rooms: small group study spaces, and places to where they could work undisturbed. Thus, the Library design provides areas for conversation and collaboration, and quiet areas for personal, focused work.
The Library measures 9,422 square feet –twice that of the old library -- with 12 foot ceilings that give the main reading room an expansive feel. With open sight lines in all directions, even on the cloudiest day the room is filled with natural light. Jon Kelly ‘99 previously culled the Delbarton book collection from 22,000 books to 7,000. Now, to an impressive menu of online content and resources he adds published content and curates a growing collection of books, all contained in widely spaced three-shelf stacks. Comfortable seating in vividly colored washable vinyl is arranged throughout, and students have ready access to charging stations.
Perimeter spaces are particularly impactful to facilitate student collaboration. On one side is the Media Lab, a production space and Library classroom that offers four laser-guided Epson boards, with a projector and flexible seating for project work. Closets disguised as white boards make this the perfect room for tasks that require ‘stuff.’ For example, members of the Middle School Robotics Club can work on their Lego-style robotics projects, then store them until the next meeting.
Next, the Quiet Reading Room is a handsome alcove offering a place to sit and read undisturbed (snoring may be a problem given the comfort level of the seating). This is the one Library area with 5-shelf stacks, giving the space a more traditional old-school ambiance.
The next two Library walls are lined with 1/2” glass panels. These transparent, sound-reduction surfaces define five 6-person group study rooms that are dramatically impacting collaborative work at Delbarton.
What was once a dim Trinity Hall corridor is now flooded with light –and populated with student art–thanks to the integration of Trinity Hall with St. Benedict Hall. The new Media Lab on the Library level is a production space and Library classroom offering four laser-guided Epson boards, with a projector and flexible seating for project work.
Previously, students needing to work together met in empty classrooms or even in hallways. Now, boys have access to five bright spaces with smartboards and tables and chairs for six. “We think they’re going to be extraordinarily popular,” says Fr. Michael. These rooms are available daily from 7:30am to 6:00pm and reserved via an online booking form.
Students seeking a quiet place to do homework need look no further than the new Quiet Study with its 26 private study carrells to facilitate individual work. Again, glass walls make this a bright, tranquil space – and an easy one to supervise too.
The final asset on this first floor is Spada Commons with its 16’8” ceiling and sweeping views of the Fine Arts Center, Formal Garden and Trinity Hall. A new pathway leads from the FAC and Trinity Hall plaza, and St. Benedict Hall effectively completes the Delbarton quadrangle that the Fine Arts Center opening suggested was possible. White steel beams on the front entrance of St. Benedict Hall mimic the FAC façade and add a modern yet classic aesthetic to the confluence of buildings with the Garden.
Accommodating up to 125 people, Spada Commons combines many functions in one grand space. With a superb sound system and acoustics, projector and screen, video conferencing capabilities and flexible seating, this is the perfect room for parent, alumni and board meetings.
Director of Guidance Dr. Matt D’Urso ’96 leads his team from this office in our new Guidance suite on the second floor of St. Benedict Hall. The College Guidance team is now reunited with the underclassmen guidance staff, and each Delbarton guidance counselor now has a private office.
Small groups have access to five private glass-walled spaces along the Library perimeter with smartboards and a table and chairs for six. With open sight lines and book stacks capped at three shelves, the new Library is a light-filled space.
Onward and Upward to the Second Floor Let’s make our way upstairs to the second floor. It’s interesting to note that on this level the connection between Trinity and St. Benedict Hall has effectively flooded once dark corridors in Trinity with natural light. In fact, by design the St. Benedict Hall addition generally makes Trinity Hall feel larger and more open, and the two buildings have been beautifully integrated into one cohesive whole.
This second level of St. Benedict Hall includes three new classrooms, the same size as renovated Trinity Hall classrooms yet that feel more spacious thanks to HVAC duct work tucked away in the ceilings. All three feature closets, white boards, and an Epson board, and will accommodate classes that previously met in Old Main. In fact, on April 12, 2021 Old Main said farewell to the last classes at Delbarton after a continuous run of 82 years, another milestone in the School’s history.
The second floor of St. Benedict Hall is also home to the new Delbarton Guidance Center, a space that Fr. Michael says is “one of the most important changes at Delbarton in the last 60 years.”
Previously, Delbarton Guidance offices were scattered in several campus buildings, with College Guidance in Old Main, and underclassmen guidance in two separate areas of Trinity Hall. Guidance Director Dr. Matt D’Urso ’96 worked in a temporary office that is now part of the new Resource Center. This fractured footprint was especially challenging for College Guidance, where four counselors led by Senior Guidance
A centrally located break room on the second floor keeps the guidance team connected. Students looking for a quiet place to do homework can use the new Quiet Study with its 26-private study carrells.
The Hayes Room on the second floor of St. Benedict Hall is a multipurpose room dedicated to the memory of Abbot Giles Hayes.
Director Mike Rosenhaus ’80, shared large communal spaces, entailing constant shuffling to enable private conversations with boys and parents. Now, each Delbarton guidance counselor from grades 7 through 12 has a spacious private office suitable for individual and small group meetings. A break room was included in the Guidance floor plan, an invitation for the guidance team to connect informally throughout the day.
As payback for his temporary digs, Dr. D’Urso now enjoys a spacious office with one of the best views on campus.
Another development in the Guidance Department is the addition of a Learning Specialist, a position filled by English teacher and former Technology Integration Specialist Rob Flynn. Flynn will work with students who have mild to moderate learning disabilities or who are challenged academically. With Flynn’s help, these boys will have ready access to all the services that Delbarton provides its students to adapt and flourish in our academic program.
The last space on the second floor is The Hayes Room, a multi-purpose room adjacent to the guidance offices dedicated to the memory of Abbot Giles Hayes. Among his many roles that included Delbarton alumnus, monk, teacher, headmaster and abbot, perhaps his most significant was serving for many years as head of college guidance. The attractive multi-purpose space offers flexible seating for thirty to forty people with white boards, a smart board, a podium and video conferencing capabilities, perfect for Council of Senior and Academic Council meetings, and a place where college reps can meet with groups of Delbarton students. The glasswalled room faces the Garden and offers beautiful campus views. Somewhere, Abbot Giles is smiling.
Giving Young Men the Tools to Succeed The design of St. Benedict Hall, and specifically the Library level, was inspired by an aspirational mission: to prepare Delbarton students for the future by teaching them important collaborative and time management skills. “Using this transformative building, Delbarton students can gradually learn as they approach senior year and go to college, how to manage their time,” says Fr. Michael. “We’re giving young men options to develop, in a structured environment, the skills of time management and executive decisionmaking that are so critical to success in college and in the professional world. And it all starts here in the new library in St. Benedict Hall.”
We thank the many benefactors who contributed to the construction of St. Benedict Hall, the new, transformational asset on Delbarton campus. Many were in attendance at the official Dedication that took place on May 15, 2021.
Construction During COVID
The St. Benedict Hall project was originally scheduled to take 18 months. Delbarton broke ground in March 2020, at the height of the pandemic, which turned out to be a blessing and a curse according to Director of Buildings & Grounds Michel Rimpel. “None of us had ever heard of COVID and it was quite a challenge to get contractors in the habit of washing hands, wearing masks and socially distance. The Township inspectors were nervous and quite a few subcontractors got sick or knew someone who suddenly ended up in the hospital.” In New Jersey, construction workers were deemed essential employees and this behavior evolved quickly, helped by CDC guidelines and consistently applied safety measures. The construction team entered the new world of Zoom meetings, another adaptation that kept the project on schedule.
Rimpel credits Fr. Michael for his leadership throughout the construction saying, “Fortunately, our headmaster is quite tenacious and his ambition to see this project through was instrumental to its success.” Rimpel’s most pressing concerns were maintaining a healthy environment while dealing with potential supply chain issues, and he managed to do both.
Despite these hurdles, the St. Benedict Hall project was completed nearly 6 months early and on budget, a stellar accomplishment in light of the global pandemic.
On December 14, Fr. Michael welcomed several members of the Board of Regents Buildings & Grounds Committee to witness the formal integration of Trinity Hall and St. Benedict Hall. From left are Buildings & Grounds (B&G) Committee Regent John Harrington P'18, Headmaster Fr. Michael Tidd, OSB, B&G committee advisor Edward Dwyer '64, Delbarton Director of B&G Michel Rimpel, Delbarton Chief Financial & Operations Officer Matt Davis P'22, and B&G Committee Regents Elisa Charters P'22 and Andrew Anselmi '83, P'16.
Buildings & Grounds Director Michel Rimpel credits Headmaster Fr. Michael Tidd for his leadership during the building’s construction. “Fortunately, our headmaster is quite tenacious and his ambition to see this project through was instrumental to its success,” says Rimpel.
