― Independent Schools
Balancing Tradition and Transformation
Contents
About Us ― 5 Our Approach ― 11 Selected Projects ― 27
Front cover: Brimmer and May School Left: Phillips Academy Andover, Snyder Center, Andover, Massachusetts
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― About Us
Getting to know our Boston studio
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Who We Are
Since 1935, we’ve believed that design has the power to make the world a better, more beautiful place. That’s why clients and communities on nearly every continent
Our practice areas that can
partner with us to design healthy, happy places in which to
inform your project:
live, learn, work, play, and heal. We’re passionate about
Branded Environments
human-centered design, and committed to creating a
Civic and Cultural
positive impact in people’s lives through sustainability,
Corporate and Commercial
resilience, well-being, diversity, inclusion, and research. In fact, Fast Company named us one of the World’s Most
Corporate Interiors
Innovative Companies in Architecture. Our global team of
Health
2,300 creatives and critical thinkers provides worldwide
Higher Education
interdisciplinary services in architecture, interior design,
Hospitality
landscape architecture, and more. Our partners are Schmidt
K-12 Education
Hammer Lassen, Portland, Nelson\Nygaard, Genesis
Landscape Architecture
Planning, and Pierre-Yves Rochon (PYR).
Planning and Strategies Science and Technology Sports, Recreation, and Entertainment Transportation Urban Design
← Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences
→ The Exchange, 100 Federal Street Boston, Massachusetts
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Design has the power to inspire joy, uplift lives, and strengthen the spirit of community. 7
Who We Are
Welcome to our Boston studio. Here in the home of the American Revolution, we’re proud of our rebel roots. We hold fast to our values— diversity, collaboration, and innovation—and we’re only half-joking when we tell people to run until apprehended, because we see our studio less like an office and more like a test lab. Ingenuity is embedded in the fabric of our practice, blurring traditional boundaries between disciplines. We take advantage of our city’s world-class academic institutions, actively seeking new perspectives for a fresh, dynamic atmosphere.
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― FUN STUDIO FACT
Our in-house model shop is at the heart of our studio—both literally and figuratively. The shop is always bustling with activity, from the hum of the 3D printer to the buzz of the laser cutter. This makes it easier for our clients to visualize their project. 9
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― Our Approach
Embracing change while centering core values Independent schools come in all shapes and sizes, so we don’t take a cookie-cutter approach. We look at the full picture of a school’s mission, from each unique heritage to current needs and aspirations. A community’s core values become our guide to connect generations and help usher in change. The lessons learned from all of our practice areas and our research labs inform our process and ensure an environment which is flexible and agile, ready to adapt to future pedagogies.
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Legacy
We began more than eighty five years ago with a school so special, it changed the way educational facilities were designed. Our education practice began in 1940 with the design of Crow Island School in Winnetka, Illinois. The innovative design of Crow Island redefined the character of educational facility design by focusing on the needs of the young children and established our reputation as an innovative and sensitive school architect. Today, we remain the preeminent authority on the planning and design of schools. Our solid foundation of innovation allows us to creatively address new challenges. Though we have continued to evolve over the years, the studentcentered approach founded with Crow Island has remained at the heart of the practice. We are dedicated to the philosophy that, “the best education happens in the best environments.”
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→ Crow Island was the first of its type to be zoned by age group, with four classroom wings surrounding a common activity core.
← Crow Island remains one of the most imaginatively and effectively-designed educational facilities of our time.
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Future-Focused Schools
What is Future Ready? Technology, student diversity, and a focus on creativity are driving change. Re-evaluating functionality involves reimagining the entire school as a more dynamic space. We plan for the future by designing around innovation. Each design aspect may seem independent, but are interrelated and work together to support learners, teachers, and the community.
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Elements of a Future-Focused School
Agile
Multi-functional
Connected
Real-world
An agile campus facilitates the interdisciplinary learning environments that skill-based curricula demands.
Spaces should “work hard” and quickly respond to changing needs — flex and morph nearly instantaneously as learning dictates.
The connected school is one that bridges gaps with the world, within the school itself and with the larger community.
Successful learning environments support tomorrow’s citizens by breaking down silos and providing opportunities to gain real-world skills.
Sustainable
Resilient
Healthy
Smart
Schools can act as teaching tools, creating a foundation for sustainable thought while enriching a student’s overall academic and social development.
We work to ensure our clients and communities understand their unique risks and vulnerabilities and how schools can support them.
Responsive schools reflect community goals while holistically supporting all learners and the community.
Technology integration allows for the design of spaces that equitably address the needs of every learner for generations.
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Research and Knowledge
Connecting you with our knowledge, research and ideas is a top priority. Our K-12 Education teams place great emphasis on research and knowledge sharing, both of which are at the heart of our design practice, with our studios carefully designed to support the cross-fertilization of ideas.
Our research is inspired by our practice. Our practice is informed by our research. We believe research holds the key to greater project performance. Our researchers and designers work in partnership from project start to completion. Together, they assess our clients’ goals and innovate ways to achieve them.
Through our open-source, peerreviewed journal and nonprofit AREA Research, we partner with colleagues in design and academia to discover and apply new knowledge across the design profession.
We’re serious about technology. We regularly invest in state-of-the-art technology to support our research practice. Advanced digital tools
We’re always testing new ideas and applying what we’ve learned. Our seven research labs are trusted sources of information for clients around the world. We’re developing new knowledge every day to stay smarter, nimbler, and more competitive.
help us better understand a project’s performance, raising the value of every design decision we make.
We incubate ideas to nurture curious minds. Our Innovation Incubator democratizes research and development. Anyone at our firm who
We’re leading the global research conversation. We’ve always believed collaboration is the key to scientific advancement.
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wants to explore solutions to pressing design challenges can apply for a firm-funded research grant. It’s just another way we allow our creativity and curiosity to change the world.
Research and Knowledge: Thought Leadership
Expert Insight
Dr. Erika Sita Eitland, MPH, Sc.D ― Research Analyst Doctor of Science, Harvard University, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health As a Doctor of Science, Erika brings her research prowess to our Human Experience (Hx) Lab, integrating public health research with our design process. She helps us view buildings holistically, rigorously evaluating their impact on occupant health.
Expert Insight
Rachael A. Dumas, MSHP ― K-12 Research Knowledge Manager Master of Science, Architectural Preservation, The School of the Art Institute of Chicago As Research Knowledge Manager for our K-12 education practice, Rachael manages a network of researchers and designers that examine the connection between the built environment, education, and the human experience. Her work connects our global knowledge base that includes our research labs, marketing teams, and design leaders.
Schools for Health: Foundations for Student Success Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
Student Well-Being Playbook Perkins&Will
How America’s Schools Got So Sick Bloomberg CityLab
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Well-Being
Designed to support human behavior.
Our approach to wellness incorporates a holistic set of strategies that understand student health is both physical and emotional. More than ever, we’re asking that educational facilities help shift behaviors and provide solutions that promote overall student well-being.
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Impact areas The World Health Organization defines health not as the absence of ill-health but as "a state of complete, physical, mental and social well-being. This definition has evolved to include the crucial relationship between social and medical factors. By addressing physical, mental, emotional, and environmental well-being design can have powerful impact on student achievement and happiness. Air Quality — Adequate air ventilation rates in classrooms can improve test scores and student performance in completing mental tasks. Natural Light — Studies conducted on schools have reported that "daylight" or "full-spectrum lighting" is associated with better work habits, improved academic performance, and more positive attitudes in students. ↑ Phillips Academy Andover, Snyder Center, Andover, Massachusetts
Physical Health — Student who are physically active tend to have better grades, school attendance, cognitive performance, and classroom behaviors. Mental Health — Students who receive social-emotional support and prevention services achieve better academically in school. Socialization — Students in high-community schools are more likely to become thoughtful and reflective, to be self-directing but also to accept the authority of others, to be concerned for and respectful of others, to avoid courses of action that are harmful to themselves or others, and to maintain higher standards of ethical conduct. Sources: 1. “Student Health and Academic Performance,” Environmental Protection Agency (2012) 2. “Daylighting,” Healthy Schools Network, Inc. (2005, 2012) 3. “Health and Academic Achievement,” CDC (2014) 4. “Research on the Relationship Between Mental Health and Academic Achievement,” National Association of School Psychologists (2012) 5. “The Role of Supportive School Environments in Promoting Academic Success,” Center for the Collaborative Classroom (2005)
↑ Billerica Memorial High School, Billerica, Massachusetts
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Diversity and Inclusion
We believe diversity drives innovation. Designer Insight
Rania Karamallah ― Project Designer "As part of the Black and immigrant community in Boston, I believe it is crucial that we direct our efforts as designers to fuel innovation, center humanity and healing, and influence a more equitable future."
Different perspectives from people of different backgrounds paint a canvas of ideas with bolder, brighter colors. The combined creativity is infinite. Together, we’re designing a more vibrant, dynamic world. We’re moving beyond socially constructed barriers and stereotypes and toward an open, united, productive society. ↑Perkins&Will’s Gabrielle Bullock, FAIA and Bill Schmalz, FAIA authored a recent white paper developed in collaboration with the American Institute of Architects as part of the AIA Best Practices series.
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We’re proud to lead our industry by example. Our Diversity, Inclusion, and Engagement program supports and strengthens a firmwide culture that embraces and celebrates all people, regardless of age, culture, ethnicity, gender identity, language, physical ability, race, religion, sexual orientation, size, or socioeconomic status. Inclusion is paramount. Because when people feel included, they feel inspired and empowered. And that leads to innovation.
Our firm’s people-first philosophy is built on three core principles: 1. Diversity A diverse talent pool mirrors the diversity of our clients and communities, and ensures outside-the-box design thinking. 2. Inclusion The inclusion of many voices—both within our firm and in the communities we serve— gives everyone the opportunity to contribute in a meaningful way. This leads to more enriched designs solutions. 3. Engagement
↑ Introduced in 2016 in partnership with the Harvard GSD and our late colleague Phil Freelon, we offer a national fellowship for African American and other underrepresented students. The Phil Freelon Fellowship provides expanded academic opportunities to students of color, and helps fill the profession’s talent pipeline with more diverse designers.
Proud Partnerships with the Harvard Graduate School of Design
↓ This year, in partnership with the Harvard GSD, we launched the Black in Design Mentorship Program pairing High School students with GSD students and professional mentors. The program helps prepare and inspire the next generation of Black and Indigeneous people in design.
People who feel included are naturally more engaged, and engagement creates a sense of pride, ownership, and accountability.
Keeping ourselves accountable. To affect positive change in all aspects of our work, we established the design industry’s first Diversity Council. The Council is made up of a rotating cross-section of diverse staff from around the world. This leadership group acts as a resource and advocate for the value of diversity and inclusion in our firm culture, business success, and community well-being.
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Social Purpose: Community Healing Fowler-Clark-Epstein Farm Revitalization
Looking Into the Past to See the Future. Giving back to our communities is at the heart of our practice. Though our firm’s Social Purpose initiative, we discovered a project with immense challenges and incredible opportunities. At the heart of Boston’s Mattapan neighborhood, the Fowler Clark Epstein Farm had limited funding but a beautiful mission. On the verge of collapse, the oversized parcel had a rich history as the oldest remaining farmhouse in Boston. We came together with a common goal to positively impact the local residence addressing its greatest challenges around education, health and wellness, food insecurity and economic duress. We entered a complex partnership of diverse nonprofit organizations and community stakeholders. We co-formulated a vision for the project to educate the local community on health and wellness principles, a teaching kitchen for the community, and a location for the Urban Farm headquarters, The Farm has regained its glory and surpassed expectations in every way.
The urban farming movement in Boston creates jobs and provides access to locally-grown produce for neighbors.
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The interior demonstration kitchen offers cooking classes and engagement opportunities to the community.
― WHAT MAKES IT RELEVANT
A community-based center that promotes entrepreneurship, education, and wellness within a Boston landmark site.
Client: Fowler Clark Epstein Farm ― Size: 30,000 square feet ― Construction Cost: Confidential ― Date of Completion: 2018 ― Key Program Components: Community Space, Sustainability, Wellness and Healing― Delivery Method: DesignBid-Build― Team Members: Rupinder Singh ― Awards: Honorable Mention, Place Design Awards, The Environmental Design Research Association 2019, Preservation Award, Adaptive Reuse, Massachusetts Historical Commission, Preservation Achievement Award, 2019
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← Billerica Memorial High School, Billerica, Massachusetts
Schools should spark curiosity and joy. 24
Well-Being
Design strategies that support the whole community. Design for Movement We realize the impact our designs have on human health and behavior. By incorporating active design elements including site selection, programmatic functions and planning we
Our team is at the forefront of the discussion related to toxic substances, pushing for greater transparency in building materials that are known or suspected to cause harm to humans and the environment.
have the potential to increase student and
Ultimately, this research provides benefits
administrative movement throughout the
for not only school districts, but also the
school day.
community of visitors that are frequent guests
In educational environments, movement is encouraged as both a means to activate the mind and body as well as provide opportunities for unplanned collaboration.
of learning environments.
Design for Balance Research supports what many might consider intuitive—brief diversions from a task can
Wireless technology has made it possible for
vastly improve focus. By providing a variety of
students to choose the educational space
collaboration spaces, design can encourage
that will best support their task. A variety
socialization—from small touchdown space
of collaborative and individual spaces
to project rooms, and large indoor atriums
with adaptable configurations encourage
provide opportunities for students and the
interaction.
community to host events, have casual
Encouraging the use of stairs is another
meetings, and collaborate.
strategy that reduces energy use while positively influencing student health. By incorporating color and glass that enhances natural light and views, stairwells can become places where students want to be.
Holistically designed architecture has been shown to, bolster physical health, emotional and intellectual skills, as well as social interactions while building a greater sense of community.
Design for Material Health Health is influenced not only the choices students make throughout the day, but also the
Designer Insight
environments in which they learn. We are only
Brooke Trivas ―
beginning to understand how environmental
Principal and K-12 Practice Leader
pollutants link to a myriad of health problems including cancers, developmental
"Success is that spark that you see when
disorders, immune deficiencies, reproductive
people enter the building and their eyes
complications and asthma.
light up because they can’t believe that this was done for them." 25
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― Independent Schools Experience
Selected projects
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Snyder Center Andover, Massachusetts Client: Phillips Academy Andover Size: 98,000 square feet (9,104 square meters) Completion Date: 2018 Awards: Citation, Honor Awards for Design Excellence, Boston Society of Architects/AIA, 2019; Citation, AIA New England, 2018
“As impressive as the structure and all the features are— this building is really about the people, and the programming of this building supports all of it.” JOHN PALFREY, HEAD OF SCHOOL
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The indoor track was designed for flexibility. It can be configured for indoor and outdoor sports alike, and even host community events like convocations.
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Snyder Center
― WHAT MAKES IT COOL
This athletic facility and hub for student activity is the first in the country to combine such an array of program elements and be designed as a net-zero energy facility.
Designer Insight
Tyler Hinckley ― Lead Project Architect "Nature is spectacular, and, in design, you’re trying to capture views to it, not change it. It’s about the environment and figuring out how to place a building that’s supposed to be there."
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Ransom Everglades School STEM Building Coconut Grove, Florida Client: Ransom Everglades School Size: 45,000 square feet (4,180 square meters) Completion Date: 2020
― WHAT IT IS
The building acts as a lantern and a living laboratory that showcases the future of STEM.
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The building’s three interconnected volumes articulate the main programmatic components: classrooms, labs, and central collaboration spaces.
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Ransom Everglades School STEM Building
― WHAT MAKES IT COOL
Laboratories for earth sciences, biology, chemistry and physics integrate with stateof-the-art fabrication and maker labs.
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Fellowship Christian School, Upper School Roswell, Georgia Client: Fellowship Christian School Size: 53,000 square feet (4,923 square meters) Completion Date: 2017
― WHAT IT IS
A vibrant campus that helps guide students on their academic and spiritual journeys.
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An updated campus master plan included athletic, academic, and shared-use facilities that frame an expanded campus vision..
Fellowship Christian School, Upper School
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― WHAT MAKES IT COOL
Innovative learning is enhanced at all levels of this adaptable space.
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Fellowship Christian School
― WHAT MAKES IT COOL
Every floor includes a flexible space for STEM exploration or new media, fostering innovative learning environments at all levels.
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The Wheeler School, Campus Master Plan Providence, Rhode Island and Seekonk, Massachusetts Client: The Wheeler School Completion Date: 2019
L K
J H G
― WHAT IT IS
A campus master plan that began with a rigorous analytical process, examining utilization, efficiency, programming, and adjacencies.
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The insights garnered from our data analysis illuminated the space needs and reallocation required to improve student and faculty collaboration and effectively deliver the academic program.
A. Clark Alumni House
F. Angell Building
L. Madden Field House
B. Nulman Lewis
G. Prescott Library
M. Baker House
H. Gilder Center
N. 211 Hope St.
Student Center C. Hope Building
for the Arts
D. Fresh Air Building
J. Wheeler Hall
E. Morgan Building
K. Hamilton School
O. 9 Stimson Ave. P. Carriage House
A B
C
J
M
D
F
N E
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O P
The Wheeler School, Campus Master Plan
― WHAT MAKES IT COOL
Our plan assesses needs, prioritizes those needs, and offers a phased implementation and investment strategy that reflects the spirit of the Wheeler School over the next 10 years.
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EXISTING CLASSROOM CAPACITY – HAMILTON
(IDEAL IS ASSUMED TO BE 30 SF/STUDENT) 25
20
15
10
5
0 HAMILTON 108
HAMILTON 115
HAMILTON 201
Current Seat Capacity
HAMILTON 204
HAMILTON 208
HAMILTON 216
Seat Capacity Delta if Rightsized 12.19.18
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A thorough data-driven analysis of existing space use yielded a comprehensive campus master plan, including strategic infill building proposals (left).
Designer Insight
Gautam Sundaram ― Urban Design Principal "The most important thing is not coming to the idea or the solution – it’s actually figuring out what the problem is, first. What is it, exactly, that you are trying to solve?"
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Bishop Lynch High School, Campus Master Plan and Expansion Dallas, Texas Client: Bishop Lynch High School Size: 87,000 square feet addition, 70,600 square foot renovation (8,082 square meter addition, 6,558 square meter renovation) Completion Date: 2016
― WHAT IT IS
A new entry courtyard gives the campus a new front door and realigns the flow of students from class to clubs to sporting events—all the elements that make up the campus culture.
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“The Way,” connects the campus both physically end-to-end and conceptually, from the classroom to the court.
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Bishop Lynch High School
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← The additions include dedicated art rooms as well as a multipurpose gym, a dance studio, and a band hall.
↓ Renovations to the existing building include core academic classrooms, an alumni center, counseling suite, and media center.
― WHAT MAKES IT COOL
The collaborative planning process engaged the entire school community to establish a future-focused vision for and by the students. 49
Brimmer and May School Renovation and Addition Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts Client: Brimmer and May School Size: 13,000 square feet (1,207 square meters) Completion Date: 2017 Awards: Citation, K-12 Educational Facilities, BSA Design Awards, 2020
― WHAT IT IS
Renovations and additions driven by creative thinking, collaboration, and community.
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Brimmer and May School Renovation and Addition
― WHAT MAKES IT COOL
The design enhances the school’s STEAM program by incorporating a large flexible innovation lab, maker space, break out rooms to present, collaborate and brainstorm.
Brimmer and May School Renovation and Addition
― WHAT MAKES IT COOL
Learning spaces are located close to the civic commons and adjacent to each other to encourage student interaction.
The design supports critical thinking and analytics, enhanced by emerging technologies and handson problem solving.
Whitefield Academy, Morris Hall Mableton, Georgia Client: Whitefield Academy Size: 54,000 square feet (5,016 square meters) Completion Date: 2012 Awards: Citation Design Award Institutional/Educational (non-residential), American Institute of Architects Georgia, 2014
― WHAT IT IS
A campus focal point that will support preparatory education for years to come.
The building houses flexible classrooms, science labs, a media center, and other updated academic spaces alongside administrative offices and a 300-seat black box theater.
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Whitefield Academy, Morris Hall
― WHAT MAKES IT COOL
As the newest piece of the main campus green, this stateof-the-art learning space fits in with the existing architecture and complements the pastoral landscape.
← The double-height entrance, framed by exposed steel framing and a wood-paneled ceiling, draws in students from the quad.
→ Central spaces on all three building levels let in natural daylight and offer dynamic views of the quad.
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Thomas Jefferson Independent Day School, Fine Arts Wing Joplin, Missouri Client: Thomas Jefferson Independent Day School Size: 53,000 square feet (4,923 square meters) Completion Date: 2011
― WHAT IT IS
An Arts and Student Life Complex that is designed for growth and creativity.
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The building program is organized around an active central courtyard.
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Thomas Jefferson Independent Day School, Fine Arts Wing
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← The school now has a dynamic and inviting public presence.
↓ The building hosts a variety of uses from administrative offices and a library to arts-specific spaces like art studios and a theater.
― WHAT MAKES IT COOL
By incorporating access to natural daylight, and details like energy-efficient lighting and recycled materials, the expansion was designed with sustainability in mind. 63
Shattuck - St. Mary’s School, Fayfield Hall STEM Building Faribault, Minnesota Client: Shattuck - St. Mary’s School Size: 20,500 square feet (1,904 square meters) Completion Date: 2011
― WHAT IT IS
An addition and renovation on a campus recognized and protected by the National Historic Register that boosts an expanding STEM program.
← Additional teaching, faculty, and student space is in the renovated Kingham Science Hall.
→ The new building enhances the existing campus circulation on the first floor by linking to the adjacent buildings.
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St. Stephens Episcopal Day School, Arts and Innovation Center Coconut Grove, Florida Client: St. Stephens Episcopal Day School Size: 30,000 square feet (2,787 square meters) Completion Date: 2020
― WHAT IT IS
A showcase for future-ready STEAM education in early childhood development, serving a school steeped in tradition.
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The principles of STEAM education guided the design of a facility that fosters a multidisciplinary approach to education.
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St. Stephens Episcopal Day School
→ The community recognized that next-gen education requires new kinds of buildings and flexible learning environments
← Formal and informal spaces for education and exploration foster transparency, mobility, and well-being.
Captivating school environments that cultivate young minds.
LET’S COLLABORATE
Have an independent school design need? K12Education@perkinswill.com
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Phillips Academy Andover, Snyder Center Andover, Massachusetts
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For more information, contact: K12Education@perkinswill.com