Stone Ridge School of the Scared Heart is a Catholic, independent, college preparatory school in the Network of Sacred Heart Schools for girls, Grades 1-12, with a co-educational early childhood program. Stone Ridge is located on a 34.5-acre campus in Bethesda, Maryland. Enrollment is approximately 710 students that includes the Little Hearts, Lower School, Middle School and Upper School.

The master plan analyzed the needs of the entire school and developed a new vision for the Stone Ridge campus to support many of the strategic plan initiatives. A key component of the master plan was an analysis of the utilization of the existing space on campus and developing a plan for existing space that was becoming available due to the planned construction of a Student Life Center. The scope also included a study of optimum space utilization, potential property expansion, site circulation and traffic analysis, landscape and outdoor learning and athletic spaces, and anticipated short term and long term projects. The iterative planning process included a period of interviews and programming, stakeholder engagement, analysis and discussion, and ultimately the final campus master plan which received approval by the Master Plan Committee in 2017.

Hord Coplan Macht was then commissioned to design the new Student Life Center consisting of the design of a 2-story approximately 54,000 gsf, Center for Student Life at the very heart of the existing campus along the new Campus Walk. The facility is all new construction including an all-school dining space, 420-seat performing arts theater, visual arts classrooms, vocal music, band, musical practice rooms, orchestral music space and ample new student life support spaces.

The building is located centrally near the current playground and existing storm water management features just to the south of Gator Field and is anticipated to function as a new Campus Center. The new building serves the entire School community hosting drama, music and dance performances, lectures and all-School masses among its many functions. The exterior landscape is well developed on at least three sides to create a series of stepping outdoor terraces for outside-the-classroom learning, outdoor seating, dining and gardens.

To learn more about the graphic design Hord Coplan Macht provided for this project, click here.