NEW SPACES New Beginnings

The relocation and redesign of Marymount’s Science Labs and Visual Arts Studios was one of the largest renovation projects ever undertaken on our historic campus, and the students and faculty are enthusiastic in their praise as they have begun to access the new spaces this semester.

Equally as transformative for both the life science curriculum and the visual arts program, the innovative spaces have replaced outdated classrooms, allowing for both collaborative and independent learning, and providing flexibility for future programmatic growth within each of these disciplines.

With the Visual Arts Studios now on the first level of Cantwell Hall, and the Science Labs now on the first level of Butler Hall, the defined spaces better support Marymount’s dynamic and forward-thinking curriculum. Additionally, the comprehensive renovation of both buildings has enabled state-of-the-art air flow and filtration systems, and ductless heat and air conditioning. In Butler Hall, triple-paned windows have greatly reduced the noise level from Sunset Boulevard, and a new ADA compliant elevator has been added to ensure access to all levels of the building.

Visual Arts

The arts provide an avenue for personal expression and articulation of purpose, animate and fuel a sense of being, and provide a means to connect and to inspire. The relocation of the visual arts program to Cantwell Hall appropriately brings the arts - both visual and performing - together in a centralized location with adjacent access to the School’s Digital Media Resource Center and M3 Design Studio.

Along with combined art studios and classrooms that provide ample work and lecture spaces, the newly configured spaces feature a dedicated ceramics studio, an enlarged and modernized photography lab and darkroom, and a permanent gallery space to display student work and to develop curatorial skills. The intentional configuration of the spaces allows the students to more easily observe each others’ creative processes and to develop and hone their own.

Life Sciences

Marymount’s Science Labs had initially been created for a 1936 science program housed within Cantwell Hall. The designers of that historic building could not have envisioned the current educational challenges that nine decades would bring in scientific and technological advancements.

Though the biology, chemistry, and physical Science Labs had been updated nominally over the years, the space was not adequate to meet the needs of Marymount’s current comprehensive life sciences program, or the volume of students taking those courses. The number of courses offered in the sciences has grown exponentially as approximately 90% of our students currently take one extra year of science beyond what is required to graduate.

The relocation of the life sciences program to Butler Hall has allowed the School to renovate and create four large and fully-equipped mixed-use lab-and-classroom spaces for hands-on experimentation and analysis, along with sufficient ancillary spaces that fully support classroom needs, laboratory requirements, independent learning, and safe, well-ventilated storage spaces.