Shady Hill School, Arts Court

Cambridge, Massachusetts

Firm

Richard Burck Associates

Client

Shady Hill School

Area

61,000 sq.ft.

Total Cost

$3,000,000

The Arts Court at Shady Hill School, an independent, co-educational day school founded in 1915, is situated between Mount Auburn Cemetery and the Charles River in Cambridge, Mass.

Shady Hill School prides itself on its environmental awareness and its culture of open campus space. At the northwestern edge of this “academic village,” the landscape architect introduced a central courtyard to unite a new complex of arts buildings. The design team aimed to take full advantage of the Arts Court’s context, both within the Shady Hill School village and the wetland landscape, in order to create an outdoor space that would serve its students, faculty and staff, as well as the local environment.

The design for the Arts Court maximizes visibility between indoor and outdoor activities while cleverly collecting and treating stormwater and protecting sensitive adjacent wetlands.