— Renovating the Residence —

Inspired by Residence updates completed early in Dr. Porges’ tenure and new ways we used campus spaces during the pandemic, during the last few years we continued to revitalize the historic landmark that has been a symbol of Baldwin for over a century. An entire floor of new classrooms was designed specifically for the academic and emotional growth of Middle Schoolers, additional space was created for our Early Childhood Center (ECC) and office spaces were updated for administrators and staff who support Baldwin’s people and programs.

To achieve all of this, major construction work was undertaken during the summer of 2021 and 2022, to knock down walls, install new wiring and digital hardware and find other ways to reimagine Residence spaces for today’s girls – while not losing the fireplaces, high ceilings, large windows and other special touches that reflect Baldwin’s storied past. The Residence second floor now has spacious classrooms, collaborative student spaces, student support offices and all of the technology our Middle School students and teachers need. We also created a new Middle School DREAM Lab in the Residence, which has the laser cutters, 3D printers and other tools our girls use to engineer whatever they imagine.

We expanded the ECC with new spaces designed to meet the developmental needs of four- through six-year-old girls. The ECC now spans two floors and includes larger classrooms, dedicated areas for ECC specials including a new library, science classroom and DREAM Lab, and additional rooms for Baldwin’s after-school and enrichment programs. Our new ECC reflects the warmth, joy and tailored programming that are hallmarks of our Pre-K and Kindergarten grades.

Updates have continued during the 2022-23 school year. We installed a modern elevator in the Residence and renovated the Assembly Room, which became our Baldwin Commons. Modeled after student unions at college, our older students now have more space to study with friends, convene their clubs or simply hang out. We are grateful for generous gifts from the Class of 2023 parents, who helped fund new furniture in this space.

Before Dr. Porges’ tenure is complete, there is one final step to the Residence transformation: plans are underway to create a new space for Baldwin’s Archives, which will provide a dedicated area for students to explore Baldwin’s robust history and collaborate on projects that reflect our School’s proud legacy, while helping us preserve our most important artifacts for generations to come.