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

  • Kimball International Releases Curated Design Support Program

    Commercial furnishings company Kimball International recently announced the launch of a new end-to-end design support program, DesignSuite. According to a news release, its goal is to guide architecture & design professionals and dealer partners through the process from vision to specification.

  • Houston-Area High School Breaks Ground on 117,000SF Multi-Use Facility

    North Shore Senior High School, part of Galena Park ISD in Houston, Texas, recently broke ground on a new multi-use facility for student extracurriculars, according to a news release. The North Shore Multi-Use Facility will include dedicated practice and training space for the school’s athletics and fine arts programs.

  • Wisconsin District Breaks Ground on New Elementary School

    The School District of La Crosse in La Crosse, Wis., recently broke ground on a new elementary school that will consolidate the students and staff of two existing schools, according to local news. Funding for the school comes from a $53-million referendum approved in 2024.

  • FGCU Breaks Ground on New Health Sciences Building

    Florida Gulf Coast University (FGCU) has launched construction on a major new academic facility that leaders say will reshape healthcare education in Southwest Florida for decades to come, according to university news.