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News & Photos
Elderkin Hall Gets a Makeover
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After 60 years as home to the Lower School, Elderkin Hall got a summer makeover designed to align the classroom spaces with how students learn. What began as a cosmetic update to original lighting, floors, and finishes evolved into thoughtfully designed spaces built around how the brain actually learns, focuses, and feels safe — the key principles of neuroarchitecture.
The first thing students and teachers notice is that the building is brighter and more inviting. The palette of earth tones and blue hues used throughout Elderkin is designed to ground and calm students, and the new ceiling clouds in each space not only improve acoustics but also transform flat concrete decking into a fun, multi-layered “sky.”
Classrooms in the oldest part of the building were completely revamped from floor to ceiling, while those in the 2001 addition received new carpet and furniture. Gone are the traditional desks and chairs in neatly spaced rows. Recognizing the need for flexibility, the new Elderkin furniture enables teachers to rearrange their classrooms during the school day to maximize their space. Desks shift from quiet, independent work to small group collaboration within minutes, and seating flexes for a read-aloud on the rug or a hands-on project at a table.
“This renovation wasn’t simply about a new coat of paint or fresh carpet. Every room was designed around what students need most: space for their own thinking, their own work, their own growth,” says Head of Lower School Kara Zimmerman. “It’s a building designed around how children actually learn, not just how a room looks.”
The vision for the summer-long renovation also included expanding the art room and woodshop, and removing interior divisions to make the space lighter and more conducive to creativity. Changing the configuration of some of the older, larger classrooms resulted in the addition of classroom space, most notably the opportunity to house the well-used STEM lab within the Lower School building. The Leah Watts Dawson Library, off the main foyer, has always been a draw. Now, with book nooks for reading, comfy chairs, and a welcoming new layout, it is even more inviting.
A month into the school year, orange tack boards that line hallways display student writing and art; teachers are learning which classroom configurations work best for their lessons; and the building itself hums with the energy of the community it was redesigned to serve.
The refresh of Elderkin Hall complements the construction of the Lower School’s Berman Family Playground, which opened in 2024 and was thoughtfully designed with experiential learning and play in mind.
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After 60 years as home to the Lower School, Elderkin Hall got a summer makeover designed to align the classroom spaces with how students learn. What began as a cosmetic update to original lighting, floors, and finishes evolved into thoughtfully designed spaces built around how the brain actually learns, focuses, and feels safe — the key principles of neuroarchitecture.
The first thing students and teachers notice is that the building is brighter and more inviting. The palette of earth tones and blue hues used throughout Elderkin is designed to ground and calm students, and the new ceiling clouds in each space not only improve acoustics but also transform flat concrete decking into a fun, multi-layered “sky.”
Classrooms in the oldest part of the building were completely revamped from floor to ceiling, while those in the 2001 addition received new carpet and furniture. Gone are the traditional desks and chairs in neatly spaced rows. Recognizing the need for flexibility, the new Elderkin furniture enables teachers to rearrange their classrooms during the school day to maximize their space. Desks shift from quiet, independent work to small group collaboration within minutes, and seating flexes for a read-aloud on the rug or a hands-on project at a table.
“This renovation wasn’t simply about a new coat of paint or fresh carpet. Every room was designed around what students need most: space for their own thinking, their own work, their own growth,” says Head of Lower School Kara Zimmerman. “It’s a building designed around how children actually learn, not just how a room looks.”
The vision for the summer-long renovation also included expanding the art room and woodshop, and removing interior divisions to make the space lighter and more conducive to creativity. Changing the configuration of some of the older, larger classrooms resulted in the addition of classroom space, most notably the opportunity to house the well-used STEM lab within the Lower School building. The Leah Watts Dawson Library, off the main foyer, has always been a draw. Now, with book nooks for reading, comfy chairs, and a welcoming new layout, it is even more inviting.
A month into the school year, orange tack boards that line hallways display student writing and art; teachers are learning which classroom configurations work best for their lessons; and the building itself hums with the energy of the community it was redesigned to serve.
The refresh of Elderkin Hall complements the construction of the Lower School’s Berman Family Playground, which opened in 2024 and was thoughtfully designed with experiential learning and play in mind.