We’re excited to announce that the Waynflete Lower School was recognized with an Honor Award at the AIA Maine Awards Banquet in Brunswick last night. Thanks to the dedicated and talented project team and our wonderful clients who made this honor possible.  It was great to see so many inspiring projects from all over the state. Congratulations to all others recognized!

Simons Architects has worked with the Waynflete School Since 1996, completing 18 projects of varying size and complexity. The Lower School is our latest collaboration and a testament to our long-standing relationship and commitment to supporting their educational mission and goals.

LEADING + LEARNING

Located in Portland’s Western Promenade Historic District, the new 34,000 SF Lower School was designed to reflect the scale and rhythm of neighboring residences. The project merges the School’s 121-year history with its future, by incorporating its original building, Founders Hall with a new innovative, Passive House school building.

The new School replaces an outdated white brick addition built in 1968. Undersized and overused, the former addition was a confusing, multi-level conglomeration of several buildings that separated and isolated the school’s four learning age groups. The new building is designed to integrate the four groups (Early Childhood, K/1, 2/3, and 4/5 grades) and organize their “habitats” around a central lobby and atrium that runs right through the middle of the building, connecting the upper level playground at the front entrance with the lower level playfield behind the building.

Two wings joined by the atrium and a shared classroom allow natural daylight to flow into three sides of each classroom grouping. Flexible learning spaces, as well as an art studio and after school spaces are included in the building. With a high-performance exterior envelope and high efficiency mechanical and lighting systems, the building is designed to achieve Passive House certification (pending), that reduces the energy use to 80% less than energy code requirements.

Check out the other work that was recognized by AIA Maine, featured in Maine Homes. Congratulations to all of the award recipients!