Press Releases

January 22, 2010 — Fort Washington, PA — Moving from concept to reality, Germantown Academy, the nation's oldest nonsectarian day school, has approved Phase I implementation of its new Campus Master Plan: the major reorganization and upgrade of its entire 118-acre campus.

Working closely with the trustees, faculty and staff, Wallace Robert & Todd (WRT) created a multi-phased master plan that called for the total reorientation of the 118-acre campus toward the jewel of the academy's property: the Wissahickon Creek. The campus buildings, as sited in the early 1960s when the school moved from Germantown to its present site in Ft. Washington, and especially the later additions, were sited away from the creek, relegating the creek to the backside of the property. The campus, in its new form, will celebrate the Wissahickon as its primary feature, orienting academic buildings and athletic fields around it. The principles of sustainable design integration and the reconnection of the core campus to the natural environment were the drivers of WRT's plan.

Phase 1, commencing construction in June, includes a new 150,000 SF Middle and Upper School and a 12,000 SF administration building renovation, also designed by WRT. The architecture of the new building continues the traditional stone architecture, but transitions to a contemporary glass and metal architecture on the creek side. The layout maximizes daylighting and campus views for the classrooms, creates informal spaces to allow circulation areas to be filled with natural light, and creates outdoor courtyard spaces that connect the science classrooms to the landscape while also providing new outdoor programming opportunities.

The project is registered under the USGBC LEED program, and incorporates a host of sustainable design strategies that avail the building as a teaching tool: rainwater harvesting systems and a green roof teach about stormwater management issues, green materials teach about resources, and advanced system controls display the workings of the building. Future phases on the school campus will include a new indoor athletic center, renovation to existing buildings, and a new arts center.