Hathaway Brown Middle School
Shaker Heights, Ohio
Graham Gund Architects

An addition updates and expands this historic and prestigious prep school

© Jonathan Hillyer/Esto

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This new, 61,000-square-foot addition to an original Walker/Weeks building houses classrooms, dining facilities, and multipurpose meeting spaces. Founded in 1876, Hathaway Brown is Ohio’s oldest college preparatory school for girls and its focus on the humanities and participatory learning sets it apart.

The main tenants on levels two and three in the new wing are the 5th through 8th graders. Three state-of-art science lab/classrooms for the upper school students, an art complex, and a 300-seat dining facility (sized to accommodate the entire upper, middle, and lower student bodies at one sitting) constitute the lower two levels. With a strong curricular emphasis on the sciences, the new facility supports teaching and wet laboratories, including a demonstration hood in the chemistry laboratory. Also on the ground level, flanked by the arts center and the dining room, is a glass-enclosed great hall. This serves as a hub of daily school life, a spectacular setting for special events and large gatherings, and a covered "outdoor" space.

By locating the "L" of the new wings in the northwest corner of the campus and by establishing a new entry axis from the north, the entire campus circulation is reoriented. A new entry drive focuses on the main facade of the original building. The entry sequence has been streamlined, with parking distributed to the sides of the building and a new drop-off circle at the entries of the upper and middle schools and gymnasium.

Formal name of Project:
Hathaway Brown School - Middle School Addition

Location:
Shaker Heights, Ohio

Gross square footage:
65,000 sq. ft.

Total construction cost:
$15 million

Owner:
William Christ
Head of School
Hathaway Brown School
19600 North Park Boulevard
Shaker Heights, Ohio 44122