Christ Church Episcopal School, Performing Arts Center

Awarded: Association for Learning Environments (A4LE), Excellence in School Building and Design Honorable Mention Award, 2017

Christ Church Episcopal School engaged McMillan Pazdan Smith to design their new Performing Arts Center to improve theatrical performance spaces for the school and create a “home base” for the growing instrumental music program. The new building is approximately 40,700 SF and includes a 600-seat proscenium theatre with scene shop and dressing facilities; several large classrooms for instrument instruction; rehearsal, band, orchestra, and drums practice rooms; and a large lobby for pre-show functions.

Acoustics played a major part in the design of the theatre space featuring angled wood paneling and a variable acoustic drapery system overhead, making the entire space customizable for the type of performance. Great care was taken to acoustically separate all practice rooms including separating structural steel, concrete slab, and using acoustical wall designs.

The project completed in April of 2016.