The school transformed the 1917 Westhampton Baptist Church to accommodate student growth. With 150 students currently in its middle school, St. Bridget’s new 23,941-square-foot space can hold up to 180 students. Elementary school operations will continue at the existing campus located less than a mile away from the new middle school campus.
“With the addition of the Westhampton campus, Saint Bridget School has increased its total classroom space by 50 percent,” said George Sadler, principal. “The additional space allows us to create programs specifically designed for middle school students. This frees up several classroom spaces in the current building to also expand our elementary offerings. These include a STEM lab specifically designed for elementary students.”
Saint Bridget preserved the historical feel of the former church by creating a performing arts auditorium out of the sanctuary. Significant repairs were made to the gutters and deteriorating support beams of the original slate roof over the existing sanctuary, and new roofs were installed on the remainder of the building.
In addition to the auditorium, the renovation also provides a student commons, 10 classrooms, science lab, teacher workroom, administration offices and cafeteria. Site improvements include additional parking, drive-thru lanes, bus drop off lane, and wheelchair lift for handicap access.
I have no doubt that KBS was the right company to handle our job,” said Sadler. “The staff was present every step of the way and helped anticipate our needs before they became problems. We worked as a team to find solutions to the challenges inherent in restoring a century old building. I cannot say enough about their professionalism and quality of work.
The Saint Bridget School class of 2017 will be the first to graduate in the new school.
WHHA + Ionic DeZign Studios was the architect on the project.
