Richard A. Balderston OPC’69 Lower School

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Firm

EwingCole

Client

William Penn Charter School

Area

78,000 sq.ft.

Total Cost

$130,000,000

Completion Date

09/2025

Halkin/Mason Photography

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The Richard A. Balderston OPC ’69 Lower School is the culminating project in William Penn Charter School’s multiphase campus transformation and a built expression of the school’s mission and values. The goal was to unite pre-K through grade 5 under one roof, strengthen daily community, and create an environment where educational philosophy, campus identity, and stewardship of the natural world are inseparable. The resulting two-story building establishes a shared academic home that is warm, inclusive, and deeply connected to place.

The project is guided by three interwoven ideas: Quaker values, the school’s Reggio Emilia-inspired pedagogy, and the character of the Penn Charter campus and surrounding landscape. Principles of community, stewardship, equality, and simplicity shaped decisions at every level. The two-story scale creates an approachable environment for young children. The design moves beyond isolated classrooms to create a network of interconnected learning spaces. Classrooms are flexible and daylit, and shared areas, breakout zones, and informal gathering spaces support curiosity, collaboration, and independence. The result balances structure with openness, enabling the environment to evolve alongside teaching methods.