The culminating phase of Sidwell Friends’ Together We Shine campaign will not only reunify the campus for the first time in more than 60 years, it will transform the Earl J. Harrison, Jr. Building into an inspiring, light-filled Lower School. The building has been designed from the ground up by teachers for the next generations of learning. “It’s going to be a beautiful thing,” says Lower School Principal Adele Paynter.
The design features large, bright classrooms, dedicated play areas, a multipurpose room and dining hall, and a spacious gymnasium. Small breakout spaces near classrooms, “porches” that invite conversation and reflection, and “villages” will create a sense of belonging within and across grade levels. Tennis courts on the north side of the building will be lifted onto a deck to make room for parent drop offs and pick ups.
Lower School teachers Eve Eaton P ’20, ’23 and Monica Sorensen P ’30, ’31 are serving as co-clerks for faculty input into the design—a process they say has ensured that the building will reflect the unique nature of how teachers and students interact at Sidwell Friends. Moreover, Sorensen says, “Having the Lower School on the DC campus will show the community the full scope of the journey a learner takes at the School.”
Groundbreaking is planned for summer 2026, with an opening targeted for September 2028, contingent on the success of the campaign.
Prioritizing Wellness and Sustainability
During the overall campus masterplanning process, Sidwell Friends and Perkins Eastman, the architectural firm overseeing the project, developed a custom sustainability framework. Both the new Lower School and the new Upper School are pursuing WELL certification, a standard that guides decisions to enhance health and well-being. That’s in addition to the goal of achieving LEED Gold certification.
“To support wellness, the design team is testing water, emphasizing the excellent Sidwell lunch menu, providing natural light to every classroom, integrating ergonomic furniture, evaluating sound penetration between spaces and the material health of the interior finishes, as well as providing a variety of outdoor spaces for learning, play, and respite,” says Karen Gioconda, an architect at Perkins Eastman who worked on the project.
Gioconda notes that the Lower School’s design draws inspiration from the campus as a whole, using materials like brick and wood to create continuity while adding new elements that give the Lower School its own identity. In every way possible, the architects have scaled the existing Harrison Building for younger students, and Lower School faculty and staff have collaborated closely on the design. Eaton says, “There will be a feeling of light and fun as you go through the building, which feels homey, kid-focused, and friendly.”
Beyond the classroom, Sidwell’s youngest learners will enjoy access to beautiful landscaping, play courts and fields, swings, climbing structures, sensory spaces, and gardens. The entire environment is designed so Lower Schoolers will feel their best on campus, both physically and mentally.
A Heart of the Campus for All
With the addition of the Lower School, green space at the heart of campus will be activated like never before. Two existing buildings—Wannan Gym and the Fox Den—will be removed to open the area far beyond the bounds of the existing Sledge Garden. The landscape between all three schools will serve as a central gathering place, with play fields, gardens, an amphitheater, and a “Main Street” pathway that enhances accessibility. “I’m so excited to see the heart of campus come together and connect the Lower, Middle, and Upper Schools,” says Gioconda. “The Lower School building is a beautiful addition to the campus, but the site and landscape are the glue that pulls the entire campus together. I’m particularly proud of our collaboration with the Lower School faculty and staff. Their insights have shaped a space that will reflect the joyful, nurturing environment they’ve built in Bethesda and will carry forward to the new DC campus.”
To learn more about the culminating phase of the Together We Shine campaign and plans for campus reunification, please contact Tara Arras, assistant head of school for advancement, at arrast@sidwell.edu.
