Porter-Gaud School, Upper School

Porter-Gaud is a private school in Charleston, SC for students from grades 1-12. As part of the school’s masterplan, McMillan Pazdan Smith worked with Porter-Gaud on the design of their new Upper School. The building is approximately 47,000 SF and serves as the “front door” to the campus. It consists of 24 classrooms, administrative and office space, and a media center. The facility’s design strives to recall Porter-Gaud’s history from the original Porter Military Academy site in downtown Charleston while relating to current buildings on campus. Deep brick recesses, corbels, and clerestory elements recall the historical Colcock Hall while the large glazing and contemporary entries lend a contemporary feel. Located adjacent to the existing senior parking lot, the Upper School also defines a new courtyard area between the Science and Technology Building, Wendell Center, and the carpool lane.

McMillan Pazdan Smith was also instrumental in the school’s capital campaign to raise monetary donations for the new Upper School. Renderings, fly-through animations, and project progress updates were featured on the school’s website so that donors, students, and parents were kept up-to-date on the project’s advancement.