Benilde-St. Margaret’s School
21st Century Learning Environment
Change doesn’t happen overnight. Miller Dunwiddie partnered with Benilde-St. Margaret’s School to update and enhance its campus over a period of several years. Together, we developed a Facilities Master Plan that brought about meaningful improvements, from maintenance projects to more significant revisions that have enabled this 1950s school building to become a 21st century learning environment. Our architects worked in concert with teachers, staff, alumni, and students to design a modern school that serves the community’s practical and purposeful needs.
To preserve much-loved buildings priority was given to efficient new windows and durable new roofs. To help teachers deliver exceptional classroom experiences, lighting and acoustical systems were updated, while key areas redesigned to function as flexible learning spaces. To meet the needs of an evolving curriculum, new STEM laboratories and performance spaces were added. Enclosing an outdoor courtyard allowed us to create a protected gathering space for the community.
Our society has entered a collaborative and digital era of learning. In recognition of this, a new Center For Innovative Learning was created at the heart of the school to foster engagement as well as independence. Here and throughout the campus, abundant natural light uplifts and energizes the community, and connects students to the greater world they are preparing to enter.