Recalling its humble beginnings as a large mound of dirt, Headmaster Jim De Vecchi, Abbot Caedmon, faculty, students and School families gathered on Friday, October 19, 2007, in the spacious common room of what is now St. Brigid's House to bless and dedicate the stunning new girls' dormitory.
While much-needed rain drove the dedication ceremony indoors, it did little to dampen the enthusiasm of the nearly 100 people who listened as Dr. DeVecchi spoke of "this important day in Abbey history" with the official blessing of the 24,000-square-foot dorm overlooking Narragansett Bay that opened in time for the beginning of School this year and houses 36 female students and four faculty apartments. "This dormitory is fittingly dedicated to the other Patron Saint of Ireland, Saint Brigid, a strong-willed, generous and compassionate woman, giving of laughter and love, who had a deep devotion to the Blessed Mary," said Dr. DeVecchi. "I encourage all who live here in St. Brigid's to continue that devotion to Mary--turn to her, pray to her whenever you need her help."
Dr. DeVecchi thanked all who helped the dormitory come to fruition, beginning with the Portsmouth monastic community for its initial support of the undertaking, along with the generous alumni and friends who made the funding of the dorm possible. In particular, he thanked "our major, anonymous donors" and the School's Korean families who endowed the Korea Fund to help underwrite the cost of the dormitory. Dr. DeVecchi also recognized the project's architects, Architectural Resources of Cambridge, "for designing a beautiful, functional building;" Advanced Building Concepts, of Middletown, RI, "for their superb engineering and attention to detail throughout the project;" DaPonte Landscaping, for its attractive landscaping of the dorm surroundings; and the School's on-campus team, led by Director of Operations Paul Jestings, whom Dr. De Vecchi said "...lived and breathed this building for the past year to have it completed on time and within budget, and directed this project with brilliance, passion and tireless effort."
Claire McCarthy '08, a prefect in St. Brigid's, shared that the girls in St. Benet's last year learned to live with construction noises from next door and were frequent visitors to the School's Web site to view live progress on the new dorm via the popular "Portsmouth Abbey Cam." Ms. Nancy Brzys, assistant headmaster for student life, and Mrs. Laureen Bonin, head houseparent of St. Brigid's, each spoke of the enhanced quality of on-campus life for both boarders and day students, as well as resident faculty, with the addition of St. Brigid's. Margaret Ferrara '08, also a prefect in St. Brigid's, read the Gospel of Luke 10: 5-9 and Psalm 127 with the refrain, "The Lord will build a house for us and guard our city." Abbot Caedmon--who shared that his mother was named Brigid--gave the Blessing of the Dorm.
ST. BRIGID'S HOUSE AT A GLANCE
- Wood frame construction with stone and cedar shingle cladding
- 3 stories; 22,500 square feet
- 36 beds
- 14 double rooms, 8 single rooms
- 12 day student lockers in 160-square-foot day student lounge
- 300-square-foot computer/study room
- Dorm-wide wireless computer network access
- 2-story common room opens onto new terrace
- 3 faculty residences
- 2-, 3- and 4-bedroom units with porches, fireplaces, hardwood floors
- Copper roof
GREEN CONSTRUCTION FEATURES
- Certified wood- and low-VOC construction materials
- Solar panels to provide domestic hot water
- Icynene insulation system - high efficiency, low VOC
- Aluminum-clad wood windows with insulating low-E glass
- Flooring materials from renewable and recycled sources
- Energy Star-rated appliances
- Energy Recovery Ventilators
- Spray Foam Insulation
- Low-flow shower heads (1 GPM)
- Low-flow toilets (.08 GPF)
- Touchless faucets
- High-efficiency/Low-emission Viessmann boilers
- Viessmann solar domestic hot water and heating assist panels
- Networked high-efficiency, building heating and domestic hot water management control system
- Insulated and water-proofed foundation
Visit our Green Galleryto see photos of St. Brigid's House and our other environmental projects on campus.
ARCHITECTURAL VIEW
When our architects, Architectural Resources Cambridge, were asked about their thought processes while planning and designing the new dormitory, it became clear that they had listened carefully to Portsmouth's needs and reflected long and hard about the site and features of the building. Here are some of their thoughts about designing environmentally friendly residential housing for a boarding school:
What did you consider when you chose the site/position of the new building?
In any design process, there are hundreds of smaller decisions that come together to create the big picture of the final design. Questions can be as complex as: How do we maximize the views of the bay from the new building without eliminating views from St. Benet's and St. Mary's? Where can we build that will not limit future development on campus? How do we maintain privacy for dorm residents? Or as straightforward as: What is the ideal configuration for the solar panels on the roof? All responses are evaluated and contribute to the final site and orientation of the new building.
The Portsmouth Abbey School campus is beautifully sited on a hill overlooking Naragansett Bay. With the Abbey Church and Monastery enclosing one end of the existing academic quad, the campus has a strong east-west axis which creates three distinct zones: spiritual, academic, and residential. With the church at its head, the academic quad is defined by the Burden Classroom Building and Library on the north and the Administration Building and Auditorium on the south. The walkways that front these buildings provide the main link to the rest of the campus.
The site of the new girls' dormitory and the proposed boys' dormitory, opposite it to the south, not only create the edge of a new "residential green" but also extend the campus axis further west toward the water. Currently, walkways on either side of the academic green lose definition as they approach the residential end of campus. ARC's design goal was to reinforce the concept of a "campus green" as the heart of the residential zone, so in addition to the location chosen for the new buildings, the new plan emphasizes these pathways which connect the academic quad, the new residential green and the water.
What existing buildings/architecture on campus or elsewhere influenced your design and how?
The siting, architectural design, and choice of building materials of the new building are closely intertwined. The central axis that is extended by the new building and new residential green is further unified by the selection of building materials in the residential zone, specifically the use of stone, wood and copper. The academic green, centered on the church and composed of the original Belluschi buildings, uses these materials most rigorously, with brown board and batten, fieldstone walls and expansive copper roofs.
Since the new buildings of the residential campus will define and set the tone for their own new "residential quad," we felt that the design and materials should respect the existing architectural vocabulary without mimicking it. The copper roof and stone base, which are dominant along the main campus axis, were a natural choice to tie the new residential green to the rest of campus. Cedar shingle siding was chosen not only for its coastal vernacular but also because it has precedent nearby on campus in the Arts Center.
The massing of the new dormitory takes its cues from the adjacent St. Benet's House. While not representative of the Portsmouth Abbey setting as a whole, St. Benet's is a dominant feature on this part of campus and a unique part of the school's history. The angle of the gable ends of St. Benet's and the decorative limestone banding in the gables are reinterpreted in shingles and wood trim in the new dormitory. The arched windows at the basement level of the new dorm echo the arched limestone panels above the windows of St. Benet's.
How did aesthetics, ecology and practicality interplay in the plan and the material choices?
Practical issues are often the ones least thought about by the students who will ultimately live in a new dormitory; however, they are the first ones noticed if they are not well thought out. In other words, a successful dormitory design should feel comfortable and function well from the outset.
In designing the new girls' dormitory, the ARC design team integrated the faculty apartments into the life of the dorm, providing each unit with connection to two floors and a faculty study that serves as both a buffer between and a meeting space for faculty and students. Study rooms or nooks on each floor give students numerous options for places to meet or study. Even design decisions as simple as the central location of the dormitory bathrooms, their clear division into wet and dry zones, and the storage cubbies provided for toiletries all contribute to the success of the building.
Portsmouth Abbey School also has a demonstrated commitment to sustainability. This informed many of the decisions in the early stages of the design process for the new dormitory. Knowing that alternative energy strategies were important to PAS, ARC explored the possibility of incorporating ground-source (geothermal) heating and cooling for the new dorm but discovered that it was impractical in this application.
Solar energy, on the other hand, was an ideal choice. The new dormitory will use solar panels on the roof to provide anywhere from 60-100% of its hot water needs, and any excess hot water will be used to offset the demands of the high efficiency boiler. Other sustainable features include toilets and faucets designed to use less water, lighting and appliances that use less electricity, and an insulation system that is more efficient than traditional fiberglass. The wood framing for the building is specified to come from companies that promote responsible forest management and many of the interior finishes are made from recycled or sustainable sources.
Does the design differ from that of a building meant for boys, and, if so, how?
There is little difference between student residences intended for girls or for boys. One factor is the importance that any school places on maintaining parity between the sexes. Another is flexibility. Due to the permanence of construction and the inability to know the future needs of the school, we believe that these buildings should be sufficiently flexible should the School ever need to change the building's intended use from a girls dormitory to a boys dormitory, or vice versa.
