Facilities Finally Furnished

Over the summer, Gilman worked on a plethora of projects with the goal of updating and improving the experience on campus. While many members of the community were taking a well-deserved rest after the school year, the building and grounds team was hard at work, completing a wide range of sorely needed improvements. Some of these improvements include renovating the middle school and the athletics center, while also creating a new makerspace known as “the HIVE.” These various projects have helped to further elevate the Gilman experience.

Perhaps the most recognizable change made to the school during the summer was the creation of a new makerspace where the robotics lab and the D&W woodshops reside. This involved a complete renovation of all three spaces mentioned above, as well as the addition of various new machines, like sewing machines, that enable students to pursue their creative desires. The name“HIVE” is a nod to the bees on our emblem, which symbolize the collaborative and productive nature of this new space. The HIVE is also an acronym for the Hub for Innovation, Visual Arts, and Engineering.

In addition to the HIVE, many other parts of the campus have received facelifts, helping to breathe new life into these facilities. Namely, the Athletics facility has received a fresh coat of paint, as well as work on the electrical systems within the building. On top of this, the middle school has been renovated with new flooring and paint. While not as large in scale as the HIVE, these projects are necessary for maintaining the modern and scholarly feel of campus. Head of School Mr. Smyth commented, “It's just something that every so often, it's good to do, because stuff starts to feel tired.” 

When looking at the big picture, the process of implementing such projects changes drastically. Normally, a school will bring in and work with an architecture firm to build a “master plan” or ideal vision for the school’s campus. This allows the school to effectively plan out larger projects, making sure they properly synergize with the rest of the school. These projects, such as the aforementioned HIVE, go through longer stages of planning and fundraising in order to be completed. 

Gilman has no plans to stop with these upgrades and is determined to further improve the campus through future projects. The two largest upcoming tasks are the addition of a new performing arts center, combined with a renovation of the auditorium, as well as a larger-scale renovation of the athletics center. The new performing arts center will help to strengthen and elevate the music and acting communities within the school. On plans to upgrade the athletic facilities, Mr Smyth states, “We're also starting to study what our athletics facilities might look like given what we know our wants and needs are.” It is clear that while the administration has done an excellent job of improving the campus and maintaining it, they continue to strive for excellence by attempting to create a campus that perfectly suits the educational and athletic needs of its students.