Lakeside School

This project is a part of Hope in Action: An Empowering Strategic Plan for Lakeside School. Learn more.

A number of Upper and Middle school students made their mark on Lakeside this month, adding their signatures to one of the beams that will be installed in the new Upper School academic building currently under construction. In the topping out ceremony, that final beam, signed by students, staff, and the project team, made its way to the top of the structure, with a Lakeside (stuffed) Lion along for the ride. It was a milestone to celebrate, both for the hardworking crew as well as the Lakeside community.

With the steel framework of the new building now complete, workers will pour the concrete slab on the second floor, and begin to install the exterior walls, brick, siding, and windows.

Our colleagues at BNBuilders have been keeping students up to date with construction news. At a recent presentation at the Middle School, students were buzzing about the outdoor classroom and turfed area for lounging; renderings of the community spaces inside the building; and drone videos of the concrete pour. Their questions ranged from the holistic (What is the hardest part of building a building?) to the very specific (How did you move the fiber optic cable?) to the unanswerable (How much will the building weigh?). There was a palpable awareness that the building will be ready for them: the current 7th graders will be entering the Upper School when the building officially opens for classes in the 2026-2027 school year.

 

Be aware: Construction impacts

To construct an accessible pathway to the new building from Red Square, trees between Allen Gates Hall and the library will need to be removed. That work will occur during spring break. The east parking lot (behind the library) will be partially open, but there will be no pedestrian access between the two buildings. New landscaping will be planted as part of the project.