Issue and Proposed Solutions
Many schools start their planning with a solution in mind, but a structured process like Immersion can uncover unique solutions that better align with the school. For example, Glen Urquhart School (GUS) believed it needed a centralized dining hall. But Immersion, our process of intentional listening and discovery, revealed something deeper: a culture built around connected, child-scaled spaces and outdoor learning. Rather than following a formula, we helped the school define guiding principles aligned to its pedagogy. The final plan replaced centralization with porches, a new science building, and a dispersed layout that reflects how GUS truly lives and learns.
How did your Immersion approach guide the design response?
We led charrettes, walking tours, and dialogue sessions with students, faculty, trustees, and families. Immersion highlighted values of progression, connection, and stewardship and translated them into actionable frameworks. By dispersing gathering spaces across campus, each building gained a front porch for community gathering. Beacons—cupolas and monitors—bring light into each space and create a vocabulary to mark entrances. The new science building now serves as a threshold, a landmark, and a symbol of GUS’ experiential spirit.
What was the result, and how did this approach help the school move forward?
By challenging assumptions and planning through values-based frameworks, the school achieved a master plan with overarching alignment. The resulting design supports outdoor learning, phased growth, and deeper fundraising conversations. It reflects the thematic spiraling curriculum through physical progression across the campus. Most importantly, it feels true to the school’s identity. As Head of School Gretchen Forsyth said, the new plan “creates a sense of place” and a joyful flow from youngest to oldest learners.
