On Tuesday, September 4, The Grosse Pointe Academy opened the doors of the main school building to students for the first time since the building closed for construction at the end of the 2005-06 school year. Students and parents in grades 1-8 arrived for orientation that day prior to the start of school on Wednesday, September 5. While tours of construction in progress were offered last spring, many families were seeing the renovated school building for the first time.

What can Academy parents and students expect from the $7.8 million project? For starters, according to Head of School Phil Demartini, they will walk into classrooms that are 200 to 250 square feet larger than their predecessors. They can also expect to see classrooms updated with running water and a drinking fountain (for grades 1-5), ample storage space, and new cabinetry and lighting, all of which contribute to an optimal learning environment. For example, the fluorescent lights have pendent fixtures and offer even light with no glare, along with quiet electronic ballasts and multiple light level controls in the classroom.

“In planning the building, we always looked to the latest research on education and what would create the best environment for teachers and students,” says Demartini.

The challenge of the project, according to Demartini, was modernizing an old historic building and bringing it into the 21st century while at the same time preserving the building’s character. “The architects and builders (Fanning/Howey Associates, Inc. and Frank Rewold and Son, Inc.) always kept our capital campaign theme – Tradition and Tomorrow – in mind,” says Demartini.  Two prime examples of combining the past and the future, according to capital campaign co-chair Cathy Broderick, are the library and the third floor art loft. “The third floor is such a surprise,” says Broderick. “The floor was completely gutted and the architects had the most freedom up there to create a space that is truly an inspiration.”

The library, located on the second floor, is a cornerstone of the renovations. It has retained the character of a traditional library, with cathedral ceilings and wooden rafters, arched windows and dark wood shelving, while incorporating modern-day technology through the addition of two catalog computers and six computers for student use in conducting on-line research. Young children have a cozy area of their own in the back for reading time.

“From the first time I entered the space that used to be the old auditorium, I knew in my mind and heart that this would be ‘The Library,’” says Theo Pappas, AIA, Executive Director/Principal in Charge - Fanning Howey. “To see a space realized to its full potential, as a symbol of learning and knowledge, as an aesthetic affirmation of the tenets of education, has been a sheer joy to me as an architect.”

The building features the school’s original windows and doors, which were refurbished during the renovations. In addition, the original Welsh tile in the main hallway, which was protected during construction, has been restored, waxed and polished. Visitors to the school will be greeted at a glassed-in reception area in the front quad. The first floor houses first through fifth grade classrooms, with two classrooms for each. Each classroom has ample space for class sizes of 15 to 16, and the newly installed elevator was designed to accommodate that class size as well.

The second floor is a dedicated Middle School space, with the exception of the library and computer lab, which will be shared by all grades. One side houses the humanities – social studies and language arts – while the other side contains science and math classrooms in addition to fully equipped, state-of-the-art science labs, one for middle school chemistry and physics and one for environmental science (grades 1-5) and biology (grade 6). In addition to computers for student use in each classroom (two per lower school classroom, four per 4/5 classroom and three per middle school classroom), there are 18 computers in the computer lab. Finally, every classroom is equipped with a plasma TV that can be hooked up to the teacher’s computer for classroom instruction.

In the third floor loft, architects Fanning/Howey Associates, Inc. made very inventive use of the existing space to create ample room for lower school and middle school art studios, a kiln room, and a spacious supply area along with classrooms for foreign language (Spanish, French and Chinese) and Christian Life. The original beams were preserved and what once posed obstacles are now integrated into the design. Natural light from windows and skylights along with track lighting in the corridor create a bright, airy space where student artwork can be displayed and students are free to express their creativity.

“The upper level, or ‘attic’ as it used to be called, is my favorite and was great fun to design,” says Pappas. “In the spirit of a French ‘garret’ or atelier, the studio concept was the best application to this floor level because it released the natural light of the original skylights to be enjoyed by all, and the walls were liberated to allow the spaces to work much better and provide a higher quality environment.”

Pappas applauds the school’s Board, administration and staff for championing the preservation of an historic building. “It is rare to see a group of parents and educators who are bold enough to understand that change is the requisite in order to prepare our children for success in the future. One of the main goals was to breathe life into the building, by restoration of its primary historic elements and motifs, allowing their richness and details to once again permeate one’s experience of the building. What a wonderful way to celebrate the investment of those who gave so much before us, while ensuring that the building will continue to serve children of a generation yet born. This project represents preservation of values, preservation of generations, and preservation of tradition.”