PROJECT NARRARTIVE

Ravenscroft School leadership spent 10 years envisioning a revitalized student center to meet the contemporary social and cognitive needs of its students. Little helped realize this vision with expansions and renovations to the school's existing A.E. Finley Center to create the Olander Center for Student Life.

To meet dynamic student needs, the Olander Center integrates athletic, relaxation, social, dining and study spaces all within one building. Students enjoy multiple scales of engaging spaces both indoors and out with open common areas, ample natural light and flexible seating options. Strategically situated between the Middle School and Upper School, the enhanced Center also supports interaction and mentoring amongst students of different ages and their teachers.

However, the the building’s strategic location in the heart of campus required Little to nestle new construction and renovations amidst significant elevation changes. By thoughtfully addressing these topographical challenges, Little yielded some of the building’s most striking features.

• Two main entrances, one from the Middle School and one from the Upper School, at different points of elevation — each with its own distinctive features
• A thoughtfully designed exterior with an accessible pathway that serves as the primary promenade and seamlessly engages with landscaping and other elements at the front and side of the building
• A nearly 270-degree line of sight from inside the building — from the Middle School, along the quad to the Upper School and over to Stefanou Field — to further anchor the building to its surroundings

The Center’s defining interior spaces, including a large dining hall and Alumni Hall of Fame, provide comfortable meeting space for students, faculty, staff and families. The space also supports campus culture and a branded school experience. As the new face more the most-used building on campus, the Center now offers welcoming space for the entire Ravenscroft community to conveniently gather.

Little intentionally designed the Olander Center to be fluid and flexible, allowing Ravenscroft’s community members to evolve their use of the space over time. As the school’s needs change, the Olander Center will be able to adapt alongside them.