Agnes Irwin Campus Improvements Project
	Project Overview The Agnes Irwin School is poised for a significant expansion to its Rosemont campus with a construction project that provides new facilities for athletics, student life and academic programs. Building upon the 2004 construction of the Anne S. Lenox Arts Center and the Hamilton Science Center, and the 2005 expansion of the Lower School, the Campus Improvements Project will complete a long-range strategic initiative and 10-year campus master plan designed to addresses vitally important facilities improvements. The expansive initiative will create contemporary, environmentally driven spaces that fit the dynamic growth of school programs and the student body over the last few decades. Phase I, completed during the summer of 2011, involves site work around the Arts and Science Center and the Lower School loop, including new parking, sidewalks and landscaping. Phase II, slated to begin in spring 2012, will encompass the majority of the building project — a new Athletic Center, Student Life Center, “Student Street,” or communal corridor; and Campus Entranceway. The project will create new opportunities for nourishing the personal growth and development of the girls while still maintaining the campus' intimate scale and character. “The new facilities have been designed to enhance the sense of community that already exists in abundance in the school,” said Head of School Mary F. Seppala. “They will help provide our Agnes Irwin girls with a balanced, first-class physical plant to match the academic excellence that is our hallmark.”  (1)  (2) Athletic Center A new 55,000-square-foot Athletic Center houses sports facilities to support a broad range of athletic programs. Included in the Center are: a Gymnasium (1) with a competition-sized basketball court that converts to two separate, full-sized practice courts; a Squash Center (2) with four squash courts and viewing area; and a Rowing Center with crew tank and rowing equipment. Also included are a fitness center; an athletic training room; athletic locker rooms for both Upper School and Middle School; team meeting space, and multipurpose teaching space. Just outside the Athletic Center are four new tennis courts, two resurfaced competitive playing fields and a new softball field.  Back to Top    (3) Student Life Center A new Student Life Center (3) provides an expanded dining facility with ample seating for full divisions, allowing for a consolidated lunch period and more time for curriculum scheduling. The Student Life Center is designed to meet the daily nutritional needs of the AIS community with healthy, sustainable, high-quality food served in a bright communal gathering space. Equally important, the Student Life Center will serve as a multipurpose space supporting a range of instructional and group activities throughout the day. The Student Life Center looks upon and leads directly to a new landscaped courtyard that will be used for outdoor dining, student play, and school functions and events.  Back to Top    (4) Student Street Central to the new expansion is the Student Street (4), an interior thoroughfare designed to connect the Athletic Center and Student Life Center with existing school buildings. At the heart of the new Upper and Middle School complex, this space provides a communal avenue and exhibit gallery that fosters and celebrates the strong sense of community at heart of the Agnes Irwin experience. Along its path there is ample opportunity for celebrating Agnes Irwin through display of student exhibits, announcements and school memorabilia, as well as seating areas for spontaneous gatherings and interaction.  Back to Top  (5)  (6) Campus Entranceway The new plan reorients the main entrance to the Upper and Middle School building, providing a new, fully accessible front door. The new Campus Entranceway includes an expanded Entrance Court (5), an extended drop-off/pick-up loop, additional parking, a covered outdoor waiting area, and a Main Entry Lobby (6) with adjacent Admission Suite. Designed to reflect the spirit of the Agnes Irwin community, the new Main Entry Lobby provides a gathering space with abundant natural light and views to the exterior landscape. Located along the new Student Street, it serves as a focal point for the school where visitors can orient themselves upon arrival. In addition, just beyond the Main Entry and Admission Suite, the existing Assembly Room will be replaced with a new 1,500 square-foot fully enclosed and accessible Assembly Room that provides a true multipurpose facility for teaching and learning, conferences and events. This space, which will be fully wired with audio-video capability, can be sub-divided into two separate teaching spaces with a moveable dividing wall.  Back to Top New Parking A new Parking Area in front of the Upper and Middle School building along Ithan Avenue provides much-needed additional parking capacity for the campus. This lot, along with multiple spaces added around the Lower School loop, will provide an additional 25 parking spaces for students, staff and visitors. Sustainable Design Environmental responsibility and energy efficiency are an integral part of the design of the Campus Improvements Project. Perhaps the most visible sustainable design feature is a flat, vegetated Green Roof above the Student Life Center and Main Entry that will significantly reduce storm water runoff and reduce heating and cooling loads on the building. Other energy-saving building systems include: evacuated solar tube collectors, natural ventilation, daylight harvesting, and heat recovery equipment. In addition, material selections, water conservation, and acoustics have been carefully considered to create an interior environment that is healthy and durable. The result is a building with reduced operating costs that literally serves as a teaching tool, as well as a symbol of the school’s commitment to environmental stewardship. The project will create innovative teaching and learning opportunities, via interactive elements, exhibits and signage that can be utilized by teachers and students to inform and educate. In addition, the project is currently on track to be certified by the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Program, an internationally-recognized green building certification system. Schedule Construction of the project will be executed in two separate phases. The first phase, completed in the summer of 2011, will provide new parking, sidewalks, landscaping and underground storm water systems in areas around the Lower School loop and in front of the Upper/Middle School building along Ithan Avenue. Phase 2 will begin in spring 2012, when the school will start construction of the primary project components: new Athletic Center, Student Life Center, Campus Entranceway, existing building renovations, and surrounding landscaping, fields and paving. The second phase will continue through the 2012-2013 academic year, with full completion expected in the summer of 2013. Funding Agnes Irwin is committed to taking a disciplined and fiscally conservative approach to this project, which will be funded in its entirety by philanthropic gifts. Early work for a capital campaign has been underway since 2010, and Phase 2 construction will begin once the school has reached an established goal approximately 60% of the project cost in pledges and gifts.