Greenhill School Announces Building Community Campaign

Ambition abounds as Greenhill School announces the launch of the Building Community Campaign, the largest, most wide-reaching campaign in the School’s 63-year history. This five-year, $52.5 million campaign will transform the Greenhill campus with the construction of a new Performing Arts and Assembly Center, modern dining facilities, updated athletic fields, expanded parking, and additional endowment. Nearly $30 million has already been raised to date, including three lead gifts of $5 million dollars each and five gifts at the $1 million level.“As our school has grown over the past 60 years, we have expanded and enhanced our campus to continue to accommodate the interests and needs of our vibrant learning community,” said Head of School Scott Griggs, “but two essential components are still missing from Greenhill: an assembly space large enough to accommodate division-wide gatherings, special guest speakers, and community events; and a performing arts facility to fully support our student actors, musicians, dancers and debaters.”The elements of the campaign flow directly from the School’s 2009 Strategic Plan. Designed by the award-winning architecture firm WEISS/MANFREDI, the new building will be located on the northeast corner of the campus and will include a 600-seat proscenium theater, a 150-seat studio theater; a dance and choral hall; a green room and dressing rooms; a video production classroom; and a grand lobby, gallery and outdoor plaza.To make room for the new Performing Arts and Assembly Center, the two athletic fields currently on the northeast corner of campus will be relocated to the southeast corner. The two new fields will be regulation-sized soccer fields that will be used for a variety of sports, including field hockey, soccer and lacrosse, as well as Middle School softball and baseball.“We are fortunate to have a place where our students are encouraged to discover their passions and talents beyond their strict pursuit of academic excellence,” said Campaign Chair E. Pierce Marshall, Jr. ’86. “I am thrilled that we are creating facilities to match our students’ remarkable capabilities, both in the near term and far into the future.”Plans also include a significant increase in parking to accommodate the growing Greenhill community. Additional parking will be added close to the proposed playing fields and surrounding the new Performing Arts and Assembly Center. Changes also include a southbound entrance from Midway Road with access to athletic field parking.In addition, the School will be redesigning the cafeteria, using square footage from the adjacent Zale-Fields Theatre to expand seating and include additional serving stations. The impact of these new plans will transform the dining experience for every student at Greenhill.The Campaign Steering Committee selected WEISS/MANFREDI, known for innovative, eco-friendly designs, as the architect for the Campaign. Marion Weiss and Michael Manfredi started the firm more than 20 years ago in New York City. Their work on the Diana Center, a multi-use arts building at Barnard College that establishes new connections for social, cultural and intellectual life on the campus, won the New York State American Institute of Architects (AIA) Best Building Award in 2010 as well as a National AIA Honor Award. They also designed Seattle Art Museum’s Olympic Sculpture Park, which was recognized as the ‘Nature’ category winner at the World Architectural Festival. In addition, the firm partnered with OLIN to create the winning design in the National Mall Design Competition for the Washington Monument Grounds at Sylvan Theater in Washington, DC.“Marion and Michael have this innate ability to understand how a building relates to the surrounding environment, and how it serves the community,” said Greenhill Board of Trustees Chair Peter Kraus. “Their ability to translate our functional requirements into a state-of-the-art facility that blends with our existing campus made them a perfect fit for Greenhill.”“Greenhill’s faculty inspire and cultivate the talent in our students every day,” said Board Chair-Elect Will Rose ’85. “Catherine and I believe that a new performing arts and assembly space designed by WEISS/MANFREDI will encourage and excite faculty and students to reach new levels of excellence.”The Greenhill Board of Trustees is spearheading this initiative and has given generously to this effort both in time and resources. The School expects to break ground on the new facilities in the spring of 2014 with a plan to open the new and updated buildings in fall of 2015.“Greenhill is a community that feels like a family,” shared Nancy Carlson, Greenhill Trustee and Co-Chair of the Development Committee. “Having a space large enough for divisional gatherings is important to continue to foster that inclusive, welcoming feeling.”About WEISS/MANFREDI
WEISS/MANFREDI Architecture/Landscape/Urbanism is a multidisciplinary design practice based in New York City known for the dynamic integration of architecture, art, infrastructure, and landscape design. Noted for the strategic engagement of architecture and site, the firm has won the American Academy of Arts and Letters Award for Architecture, AIA New York’s Gold Medal, and the Architectural League of New York’s “Emerging Voices” Award, acknowledging the distinct vision of the firm. The firm’s competition-winning projects include the Seattle Art Museum: Olympic Sculpture Park, the Barnard College Diana Center, the Women’s Memorial at Arlington National Cemetery, and the Sylvan Theater at the Washington Monument Grounds.About Greenhill School
Founded in 1950, Greenhill School is one of the premier, independent, co-educational schools in the nation, preparing students for success in college and beyond. With a population of about 1,270, the school offers excellence in education for students Pre-K through 12th grade. Our rich history is defined by innovation and achievement in a balanced program of academics, arts, and athletics which prepares our students to thrive in a changing world. Greenhill’s culture reflects a value of and a commitment to diversity and individuality. An inclusive environment that celebrates and supports all voices, Greenhill is a community committed to the core principles of honor, respect and compassion. Greenhill School’s challenging academic program incorporates experienced-based learning and uses leading teaching practices, inspiring students while ensuring a strong foundation.