Upper School Expansion

Shady Hill School

Location: Cambridge, MA

Total GSF: 20,000 GSF 

The Upper School Expansion comprises of three new classroom buildings and the renovation and restoration of a fourth. Each building retains a distinct character while combining into a cohesive whole around a shared courtyard. Simple plans and sectional complexity achieved with skylights and ceiling manipulations give character to the new classrooms. The project includes faculty and advisor offices, computer, photo and video labs, parent space, and common spaces shared by the entire school community. 

Using daylight to illuminate interior spaces reduces energy consumption, and studies indicate that it contributes to student learning and to reduced absenteeism. A large skylight in each classroom of the expansion captures and filters daylight, while windows provide outside views. The skylight monitors have the additional function of contributing to the richly varied roofscape that characterizes the tightly-knit Shady Hill campus.