Strategic Plan in Action
 Work Begins on Campus Master Plan
The ink was barely dry on St. Margaret's new strategic plan when board members and administrators took action to implement two of its most pressing priorities: an assessment of the physical plant and the development of a campus master plan. After completing construction of the $1.8 million Community/Technology Center in late 1999, the time had come for the school to turn its attention to existing buildings, said Board of Governors member and Buildings and Grounds Committee Chair Heather Wood '87.

"There's a need, particularly in the area of residential life," she explained. "Many of our peer schools have recently built or renovated their student housing. We need to provide a dormitory situation that's more homelike and less institutional - because when you show potential students around a boarding school, they want to know where they're going to live."

Currently, St. Margaret's students live in double or triple rooms in Anderton House (c. 1760) or Latané Hall (1955). The facilities assessment completed in August 2000 by the Richmond-based engineering firm of Hankins and Anderson found that both buildings need repairs and renovations. That's not surprising, said SMS Business Manager Nancy Smith.

"We know the age of our buildings, but when you look at them from the outside, all freshly painted, they look pretty good. It's easy to forget that many are old - in fact, Anderton, Brockenbrough, and SMS Hall are on the National Register of Historic Places. We wanted to know about any systems or structural problems that we couldn't see," she said.

In addition to the dormitories, the facilities assessment included Ball Memorial Gymnasium (1966), the Cottage (1928), Brockenbrough House (1763) and the Pettigrew faculty apartment building (1967).

Many of the assessment's small-scale, high-priority recommendations already have been addressed or now are being incorporated into the regular maintenance schedule and budget. Other, more extensive - and expensive - recommendations will be incorporated into a longer-term maintenance timeline. These include planning for the eventual replacement or upgrade of the plumbing, electrical, heating, and air conditioning systems in most campus buildings, and restoring the deteriorating foundation of Brockenbrough House. But before investing heavily in these improvements, Ms. Wood said, the school will consider them in the context of the campus master plan.

"We'll take the facilities assessment and use it in our work with the master planners to decide which projects to tackle. It would not make sense, for example, to put a new heating and cooling system in Latané Hall, as the assessment recommends, if the master plan identifies building new, smaller dormitories as a better alternative."

Thanks to a $30,000 gift from Board of Governors member Doug Caton and his wife, Nancy (parents of Laura '04), St. Margaret's has been able to move rapidly into the first stages of the master planning process.








Latané Hall has changed little since it was opened in 1955. Many current students use bunk beds to maximize space.




Physical Plant &
Facilities Goal

St. Margaret's is committed to its existing location and physical plant. The school will maintain its facility in the highest quality condition possible and will continue to create and develop this facility, reflecting and supporting the school's educational program, sense of community, and each building's architecture.

St. Margaret's will pursue opportunities for ongoing community partnerships to enhance and maximize the use of existing community and campus buildings and facilities for the benefit of the school and the community.



Representatives of six architectural firms came to campus in early December to learn more about SMS and its goals for the master plan. In addition to student housing, the firms have been asked to describe how they would help SMS prioritize and address such current needs as appropriate classroom and chapel spaces, restoration of historic buildings, outdoor lighting, drainage, and opportunities for shared use of community facilities.

"We're looking for a blueprint that will help us use our buildings and grounds most effectively," Ms. Smith explained. "Everything is on the table."

Once a firm is selected, most likely by March, the planning process will take from nine to twelve months. Broad input from all of the school's constituencies about how they use current facilities and what they identify as future needs will be an essential component, Ms. Wood said. Alumnae can play an especially important role.

"If there are alumnae out there with training or experience in engineering, historic preservation, interior design, and other related fields, I hope they'll step forward," she said. "This is going to be a big job, and we welcome everyone's participation."