Tabor Academy has just begun construction on its newest building – a larger, greener dormitory for students. The dorm will be named Matsumura House, in honor of a family who has donated to the funding of the project.
Tabor has 19 dorms that are scattered throughout campus, the largest of which houses 32 students. The smallest dorm is home to five students. At least four faculty members are “dormparents” who supervise the students and plan activities. Some of these dormparents live in houses or apartments that are attached to the dormitories. There are 55 faculty houses on campus where dormparents and their families reside.
The new dorm is being constructed behind Baxter House – a girls’ dormitory located on Front Street – on the plot of land across from the Spring Street Fire Station. This location is accessible to students given its proximity to the main campus and is directly next to the Braitmayer Art Center and the Charles Hayden Library.
This dorm was designed by Saltonstall Architects and will be built with local materials, given Tabor’s emphasis on the importance of sustainability. The math and science wing of Tabor Academy, which was re-done in 2005, was also designed by Saltonstall Architects and was LEED Gold Certified by the U.S. Green Building Council.
Although all dorms vary in age and layout, this dorm will not necessarily follow the layout pattern of old dorms and is designed to feel more like a home.
The dorm is not meant to accommodate an expanding student body, but will relocate current Tabor students.
Three smaller dorms, which are less efficient than Matsumura House, will house a few students. This house will be home to over 20 male students and their dormparents.
Tabor believes that “dormitories form the foundation of [their] boarding community,” so the addition of an updated dorm will be a positive change to Tabor’s campus and community.
The project, which began this January, will hopefully be ready to house students by this coming school year.
The groundbreaking of this new dorm can be viewed in a short video at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TiKOfO90pxQ&feature=youtu.be.
By Julia O’Rourke
