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| Baldwin opens new athletic center |
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 10/19/2008
Tradition and today join hands in an eco-friendly architectural tribute to Frank Furness
The Baldwin School officially opened its new athletic center on Friday, Oct. 17 with a ribbon-cutting ceremony and a pep rally for its PreK to Grade 12 student body and faculty. What makes Baldwin’s new athletic center unique among the many new additions to local campuses is its architecture, which is a metaphor for tradition and today joining hands. How many gymnasiums look like a Victorian Frank Furness building and are eco-friendly at the same time?
Historical Integrity
Designed by the Washington, DC architectural firm of Bowie Gridley Associates in conjunction with the athletic program-planning firm of Brailsford & Dunlavey, also from Washington D C, the new center captures the historical integrity of the Baldwin campus while providing the school community with a beautiful facility that enables all students to participate fully in an outstanding athletics and physical education program. The brick, stone and glass exterior of the center are compatible aesthetically with other structures on campus, articulating elements of the Victorian style of the historic Residence building, formerly the Bryn Mawr Hotel, designed by Furness and listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Eco-Friendly
Clustered on the northeast end of campus along New Gulph Road, the 48,000 square-foot center incorporates a six-lane pool, a one-and one-half basketball/volleyball court, an indoor jogging track, a fitness center, four squash courts, locker rooms, offices, five tennis courts and a playing field. It also incorporates several eco-friendly design and construction initiatives, including a storm water management plan that captures 90 percent of the annual rainfall, solar reflectance roofing, the use of regionally extracted materials, the installation of Energy Star equipment and appliances, and an indoor air quality management system.
Ribbon-Cutters
The Oct. 17 opening included a ribbon-cutting ceremony and the insertion of a time capsule in a cornerstone of the building followed by an all-school pep rally for varsity games in soccer, field hockey and tennis that were held at Baldwin’s Homecoming and Family Day on the following day, Saturday, Oct. 18. Students and faculty enthusiastically waved commemorative rally towels issued especially for the occasion.
The ribbon cutters represented all members of the Baldwin community and included: Holly Stoviak, Pre-K teacher and trustee; Meg Glascott-Birch, coach, physical education teacher and trustee; Dorothy Tillger, Upper School administrative assistant for the past 20 years; Sadie Lee, director of housekeeping for the past 21 years; Dr. Larry Wells, pediatric orthopedic surgeon and Baldwin parent; alumna Lauren DeBruicker, a member of Baldwin’s National Board of Advisors and a former captain of Baldwin’s basketball and lacrosse teams; alumna Kathy Taylor, former faculty member and chair of the Board of Trustees; Lower School students Maria Pansini and Roya Alidgani; Middle School students Taylor Nickens and Charlotte Matthai; Upper School students Akela Lacy and Maggie Shields; and Head of School Sally Powell.
Baldwin's previous gymnasium was built in 1952. The new Athletic Center is the first new building on campus since the Lower School was constructed in 1975.
To see photos of the ribbon-cutting ceremony, pep rally and Homecoming, please visit our Multi Media Library, which is linked from the portal/login page.
To see MainLineLife.com's photo slideshow of the ribbon-cutting ceremony, take a look at the MainLineLife.com page. |
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