Madeira’s tradition of honoring our natural landscape remains consistent in the plans for this project. According to Chad Floyd of Centerbrook Architects, “The building will interact with North Dorm and Schoolhouse I to form a new quadrangle. Its architecture harmonizes with Madeira’s Georgian style, except for a long north wall that overlooks the amphitheater, out of sight of the rest of campus. A dramatic three-story continuous wall of windows looks out over the wooded hillside.”
As the world becomes more interconnected, competitive, and complex—and as new
technologies are adopted almost daily—the expectations placed on young people are higher than ever. Positioning students to succeed in today’s world requires an education that builds interdisciplinary connections—an education that reflects myriad ways of thinking and creating required of professionals in nearly every field. That education must link abstract concepts with practical applications and demonstrate how new technologies can transform lives. It is essential that Madeira’s academic facilities meet the needs of our program. The new academic building that will house our STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math) program will not only satisfy this basic need but also will transform Madeira’s campus. As the only new academic construction in the last 45 years*, the new facility will honor our longstanding commitment to deliver an ambitious and comprehensive educational experience that prepares girls to thrive and lead. In addition, it will serve as a community space that will impact the way Madeira girls move across campus and the way that we teach, learn, and grow. A hub for innovative, creative, and collaborative learning, with the ability to foster interdisciplinary work, the new academic building will allow Madeira to fulfill the promise to launch women who change the world by enhancing an already robust program with the facilities to support this learning. The building was purposely designed to integrate well with the existing architecture of the campus and to take advantage of the natural site. At the same time, it signals a bold future. Integrating the STEAM disciplines under one roof will ignite deep engagement, facilitate cross-collaboration, and promote student and faculty engagement that enhances learning and relationship building.
*Solar-heated science building completed in 1975 WINTER 2020 MADEIRA TODAY 7
