Tabor Academy will soon break ground on a new dormitory to be located on the property between Front Street and Spring Street, across from the Fire Station, purchased several years ago from the Estate of Anne Tenbrook. It is the first new dormitory constructed at Tabor since 2000. The dorm’s design incorporates some new ideas about residential life to take shape in this new facility.
The structure will provide an opportunity to improve the residential life experience for students by providing more open common spaces for student faculty interaction. Architect Will Saltonstall said, “The inspiration for the dorm interior was a lively urban streetscape, breaking the tradition of long straight corridors with rooms stacked on either side. We designed the dorm much like a large home, with different nooks for small gatherings of students, a kitchen island for working collaboratively on homework or making a snack, as well as plenty of bright, open areas for the dorm community to be together.” Moving students currently living in the smallest dormitories on campus into this new structure designed for 25 existing students and three faculty families will increase student engagement within the diverse learning/living community.
Saltonstall, who designed the school’s first Gold Certified LEED design project in 2005, shared that because sustainability remains important to Tabor, the project will feature locally sourced materials and systems, super efficient insulation and windows, high efficiency boilers, water saving strategies, photovoltaic panels, and LED lighting. Additionally, the school’s effort at water conservation over the years was detailed in the sewer permit application submitted. Don Wing, Director of Plant Operations, commented, “When the town redesigned its sewer treatment plant in 2001, they set a baseline for Tabor’s flow and prudently planned for a 5 percent increase from Tabor over time. In fact, the school has documented an over 23 percent reduction in water usage from the baseline used in the 2001 plan. While three new faculty families will occupy the dorm, the 25 student residents are being relocated from other dormitories resulting in a negligible increase in flow from this project.”
Julie Salit, Tabor’s Dean of Faculty and a member of the project planning committee, said, “The planning team has worked closely together and with the town, meeting with numerous town boards and student and faculty groups to ensure a collaborative process resulting in an exciting project. As we finish up the plans, we are hoping for a mild winter to facilitate a September opening.”