Dear Berkshire Country Day School parents,
As announced in July, Berkshire Country Day School is creating a Campus Master Plan this year to guide future improvements of its facilities. Our architects, from Centerbrook Architects and Planners of Essex, CT, have just finished spending two full days listening to the thoughts and ideas of every employee, some students, and the Board of Trustees.
I write to invite you to participate in the planning process by being part of a Workshop Committee comprised of various community members including faculty, parents, students, and alumni.
Your participation will involve a commitment to attend three two-hour evening planning workshops during October and early November. The purpose of these workshops is to make your ideas and observations known to our architects. They are interested in your thoughts about the school’s goals and culture and its site and facilities. Through a cycle of discovery, review, and exploration, the workshops will help Centerbrook understand the character of Berkshire Country Day School and allow participants to respond to specific planning proposals.
Each workshop will run from 6:00-8:00 p.m. and a light dinner will be provided. The dates are:
Monday, October 11 Monday, October 25 Monday, November 8
I greatly value your participation during this important process. An overview overview of the workshop series follows. Please RSVP to Coree Reid (413.637.0755) to let me know if you will be able to join us.
Sincerely,
Paul
MASTER PLAN WORKSHOPS
Workshop Schedule:
Workshop 1, Monday, October 11, 2010 – 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm
Goal: Review work completed to date and to collectively develop an understanding of your campus and to establish a list of the schools needs and goals. Items used to discover a better understanding of your campus will include:
“Treasure Hunt” – A campus tour using a questionnaire developed by Centerbrook and BCD.
“Twister” – Identify the major and minor circulations paths and the use of common areas for socializing, eating, team study, and private work.
“Changing Hats” – Determine who will be influenced the most by the Master Plan and to consider the overall needs and goals.
Workshop 2, Monday, October 25, 2010 – 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm:
Goal: Reach consensus on which planning options best meet your goals based on the information gathered from the previous workshop. We will test various alternatives that were discussed and, with a “Shopping List” and a “Beauty Contest,” we will, as a group, identify priorities and the preferred visual character.
Workshop 3, Monday November 8, 2010 – 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm:
Goal: Refine the gathered information. With the goals and objectives defined, planning recommendations are presented to meet your goals. Group discussions are encouraged to identify the best methods to implement them.
