Brief

Rowe Architects completed a comprehensive renovation to the Historic Bayshore Building at the Academy of the Holy Names. While the building has always served as a teaching facility, the needs of 21st century, forward-thinking educational pedagogies have changed and we used this renovation as an opportunity to entirely rethink the learning spaces for future AHN students.

Central to this renovation is the creation of grand Learning Commons spaces on each of the upper floors, with wide expanses of flexible, collaborative learning and lounging space. These Learning Commons span the width of the building east to west, breaking up the corridors and becoming the new social and educational hubs of the school. A variety of classroom sizes are provided to meet the needs of different teaching styles and changing curricula. All classrooms have views of the bay. Visual connection is important to the Administration, each classroom has a glazed connection to the corridor.

State-of-the-art laboratories, modern administrative and office spaces, new teacher workrooms, and new single-user toilet rooms are included in the program, as well as a large formal boardroom and multiple conference spaces. A variety of breakout spaces for small group work are placed on each floor. In all spaces, the existing ceilings are raised to at least the head height of the historic windows, allowing for more open, day-lit spaces throughout.

Careful planning and collaboration between Rowe Architects and the CM allowed the work to proceed over two summers with no need for temporary facilities or portables!