Careful attention was devoted to determining not simply what should be built where, but also how the overall site design impacts the spaces in between – whether large greens or intimate courtyards – and how the different options affect how the campus is used as well as viewed by visitors.

Following two rounds of workshops with a diverse group of 30 stakeholders from the school, Centerbrook established goals for the master plan, which included restoring and respecting the original architectural style of the campus established by architect A.G. Odell, prominent entries for both the lower and upper schools, and defined program priorities.

The CCDS Steering Committee selected a master plan from among six concepts, and Centerbrook responded to the committee’s request to develop two separate options – A) renovation emphasis, B) new construction emphasis – to allow for flexibility moving forward.

Both options include eight phases of highly orchestrated projects that address each of the established programming needs, including math and science, dining, pre- and after-care, theater and performance, and parking.

Centerbrook has completed the first phase of its master plan with a pair of new construction projects. The new math and science building opened for the 2018-19 academic year, as did a new lower school learning center. The second phase, a new student center, is also complete and included both new construction and renovation work to establish separate dining facilities for the lower and upper schools. The third phase, a renovation to create a new upper school learning center, is in progress.