Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

VMA Completes Baldwin School Innovation Center Adaptive Reuse Project

  • By Matt Jones
  • 04/11/23

Voith and Mactavish Architects recently announced the completion of an adaptive reuse project at The Baldwin School in Bryn Mawr, Penn. According to a project narrative, the firm converted a poolhouse into an interdisciplinary and collaborative education center. The Baldwin School is an all-girls’ school for students PreK–12, and the narrative explains that one fundamental challenge of the project was to make the space safe and accessible for students of all ages.

VMA Baldwin School Innovation Center
Image courtesy of Voith and Mactavish Architects

The original building covered roughly 3,500 square feet and served mainly as an open space with an excavated pool. The pool itself was converted into a sunken seating area accessible by steps or a ramp.

The purpose of the project was to create a new space where students can learn, make, and share. The space also offers flexible tables and seating to allow for an infinite array of easy reconfigurations. It includes storage, whiteboards, and display space at lower levels for younger students, as well as a makerspace with 3D printers and crafting tools for older students.

Finishes include neutral colors and materials like a wood flooring and ceiling to create a clean, orderly, dynamic space. The space features white surfaces with blue detail, combined with bright colorful cushions spaced throughout for a pop of color. The space also includes an adjacent courtyard patio accessible through French doors that visually connects the space with the rest of the campus and also filling the interior with natural light.

About the Author

Matt Jones is senior editor of Spaces4Learning. He can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • How Proactive Maintenance Can Transform Athletic Facilities into Strategic Assets for College Sports

    College athletics is entering one of the most transformative periods in its history. With NIL reshaping financial models and competitive expectations, athletic departments across the country are being asked to do more than ever with increasingly constrained resources.

  • Can AI Help Build Stronger Communities in Student Housing?

    Student housing success is shifting from operational performance to student experience, with belonging now at the center. A recent 2025 report underscores a growing emphasis on student well-being, community, and engagement, signaling that expectations now extend beyond logistics to ensure students feel supported in their living environments. AI is enabling that shift by reducing administrative workload and giving teams more time to focus on meaningful student engagement.

  • Texas District Breaks Ground on Second High School

    The Waller Independent School District in Waller, Texas, recently held a groundbreaking ceremony for what will become its second high school, according to a news release.

  • Vanderbilt to Partner with ABM for Campus Preservation and Modernization

    Vanderbilt University recently announced that it has selected ABM Performance Solutions for a preservation and modernization project at its New York City campus, according to a news release. ABM will deliver its end-to-end ABM Performance Solutions (APS) model to manage critical operations during renovation and maintenance.