Last summer, Bryn Mawr renovated or refreshed 13 different spaces across campus. The biggest changes were to the second floor of the Howell Building, the heart of which is now the expanded Innovation Lab. This new addition to the building made space for new, larger offices for the History and English Departments in the area where the computer labs used to be. Additionally, three breakout rooms were added for use by both students and teachers. Other updates include a meditation room and a small computer lab.

The basement locker area of Howell also got a big update, making the space much more attractive and functional. The dark room also moved to this level.

Down the hill, the Upper School art room took the space in the Howell Building underneath the library that used to be occupied by the kindergarten; the kindergarten, in turn, moved to a lovely, bright space right in the center of the Lower School. The Lower School art room now abuts this space, and features many upgrades as well. Both Lower School playgrounds also received total overhauls (although the DNA jungle gym remains!).

Finally, Centennial Hall, an area frequently used by both our Middle and Upper School students, received a much-needed refresh, with all new seating, a lighter paint color and other technical upgrades.

Special thanks to the Sheridan Foundation, which funded the Critique Space in the Innovation Lab, and to the Stockman Foundation, which helped to fund the Centennial Hall updates.

The Innovation Lab

Since Bryn Mawr first opened a maker space in the Upper School three years ago, the expansion has been dramatic, with the space quadrupling in size from 750 sf to 3,100 sf. The newly expanded Innovation Lab now occupies the central section of the second floor of the Howell Building and includes three distinct zones: Design, Build and Critique. Students are able to move between these different zones to perform specific tasks relating to their projects, which has helped with noise isolation as well as clearly defining each space's purpose. The large windows in the three zones have greatly increased the feeling of openness as well as the sight lines. This also allows the Lab to function as an innovation incubator, with students passing by drawn into the space because they observe their peers working on inspiring projects. Another highlight is how flexible each area is, thanks to movable, multi-purpose furniture and built-in features like storage and whiteboards. This flexibility provides excellent breakout opportunities for student group projects. The Lab is now open throughout the school day, with supervision, so that students are able to work during their free periods.

The new Critique space has been a boon to the two Bryn Mawr robotics teams, who are able to have a permanent practice arena as well as a large area for tinkering and building. The junior/senior team, Heavy Metal, attributes their increased access to the space and robot as one of the factors for their outstanding performance during their first competition of the year.

Students are not the only ones who have made great use of the space so far. A faculty woodworking class has been a hit, and the hope is that the teachers engaging in these activities will take their newfound knowledge back to their classrooms.

The Innovation Lab is now equipped with five 3D printers, a band saw, a drill press, a laser cutter, several types of saws, a large format printer, a CNC router, a lathe, a vacuum former and an array of smaller tools. "It's important to note that this is the third iteration of our Innovation Lab," says Director of Technology Justin Curtis. "Each iteration has been driven by curricular needs. When we speak about the space we are ultimately speaking about the rich curriculum our students have access to."

Student Feedback


"The Innovation Lab is so open and bright, and I really like the modern components (like the white boards on the walls and tables) because it makes our class more dynamic."

"The Innovation Lab allows me to express myself, unleashing new abilities I didn't even know I had. It's a place for me to mess up and then start over after I have learned from my mistakes."

"I really like the multi-wall projectors in the Lab because it is easy to see and follow along with my teacher."

"The Innovation Lab is incredible!"

Breakout Rooms, Dark Room and Meditation Room


The construction of the Innovation Lab freed space on the second floor of Howell for other uses. Now, students and teachers have access to three breakout rooms, which feature whiteboard walls and tables; a meditation room; and a small, dedicated computer lab. The dark room, which used to be on the second floor of Howell, moved to the basement, and received several technical upgrades.


Student Feedback


"The breakout rooms are really nice for studying with a group of friends because the white boards allow for easy sharing of ideas. Also, during history class we break into groups to work on small projects and often use the breakout rooms."

"Having the new history/English breakout rooms allows better areas for student-teacher meetings and a good place to complete make-up tests/work."

History and English Offices


The new, much larger History and English Department offices occupy space at the rear of the second floor of Howell, in the area where the two computer labs used to be.

"The new English office allows students to see that the office is a vibrant communal space for dropping by to talk about literature, as well as a place to meet with their teachers. More importantly, we now have three joint breakout rooms, so we have improved our ability to have one-on-one conferences as well as study sessions. The dry-erase walls in each of these rooms allow students and teachers to work interactively and in similar ways to how we work in classrooms."
- English Department Chair Peter Metsopoulos

"The History Department is thrilled by our new space! More room means we can have larger groups of students come down for study sessions or visits, and we love it when students come visit us to talk (or to get chocolate). Having space for a round table in the office greatly increases our collaboration. It is wonderful to see plans we have worked on abstractly come to fruition."
- History Department Chair Kim Long Riley '79

Lower and Upper School Art


Both the Upper and Lower School art rooms are brand new. The Upper School art room now occupies the area in the Howell Building underneath the library. It features large windows and plenty of space, as well as a separate ceramics studio that is used by students in all divisions. The Lower School art room moved next door to its previous location, and now features flexible furniture, upgraded storage, and more natural light.


Student and Teacher Feedback


"In the Upper School art room, there are lots of areas to work side by side as well as much better organization of supplies. It's easier to work alongside other students in a much larger space."

"I love the beautiful windows in the Upper School art room. Getting to see the seasons change and inspire our artwork is such a unique experience, and allows for a strong appreciation of the nature around us. There is also more space now for creation, giving us times for group collaboration as well as individual reflection."

"I love the new Upper School art room. The large windows provide a lot of natural light that make it a beautiful space. There is so much more room to be creative."
 
"Our new space is bright and light-filled, with a huge window facing the new playground, light tubes in the ceiling and ceiling lights and track lights. Eighteen new student individual tables fit and can be used as easels for the kindergarten and drafting tables for fifth grade. They can also be configured into collaboration tables for printmaking and textile projects. As one of the studio signs reads, "Everything has its place, so please put everything away!" That is easy with the sliding walls that also function as dry erase writing surfaces and the perfectly measured cabinets. The girls responded to the new studio with enthusiasm and engage easily with each other, the teacher and the materials."
- Lower School art teacher Genie Arnot '93

Green Construction


As a certified Green School, Bryn Mawr is deeply concerned with sustainability and our impact on the environment. To that end, the school worked with constuction company Whiting Turner and waste management company ASI to make the project as green as possible; in total, 98% of the content was recycled, translating to just slightly over 30 tons of debris being diverted from landfills.

Kindergarten and Lower School Playground


The kindergarten is now located in the heart of the Lower School in a bright, fun space perfect for our youngest Lower Schoolers. In addition to flexible furniture and floor space, the new kindergarten room features a stage/dress up area, light tube skylights and various reading nooks.

One of the biggest changes to campus was the complete overhaul of both Lower School playgrounds. Both areas now feature equipment suitable for children ages 5 to 12. At the beginning of the year, Lower School Director Pat Nothstein described to parents the many benefits of the new equipment:

"What children learn on the playground is equally as important as what they learn in the classroom, and perhaps even more so. In addition to providing fun, the new equipment encourages the development of children's gross and fine motor skills, improving the girls’ strength, balance, coordination, flexibility, dexterity, and endurance. This comes with the added benefit of promoting basic cognitive skills such as problem solving, discovery, creativity, and reasoning. Imagine, for example, a girl trying to navigate the rings. She will need to use motor skills to swing from one ring to the next. She will also need hand-eye coordination to know when to swing and when to grab. These skills both take reasoning. When she approaches the rings she has to consider — albeit only momentarily — how she is going to get from the beginning to the end of the rings. Although this may seem trivial, these skills are all used every day in life, in differing capacities. On the playground, girls learn these diverse skills, test them with different equipment, and strengthen them daily.  Children also need to learn to navigate their play areas with their peers and not with the adults. They need to learn to work together, to cooperate, to negotiate, and problem solve. And indeed, from the very first day, the girls could be seen organizing their own lines to take turns, deciding time limits for a turn, and even figuring it out what to do when they met in the middle on the rings. They are going figuring it out, and have fun in the process!"
Located in Baltimore, Maryland, The Bryn Mawr School is a private all-girls pre-kindergarten, elementary, middle and high school with a coed preschool for ages 2 months through 5 years. Bryn Mawr provides students with exceptional educational opportunities on a beautiful 26-acre campus within the city limits. Inquisitive girls, excellent teaching, strong student-teacher relationships and a clear mission sustain our vibrant school community where girls always come first.