Master Plan

The Bryn Mawr School Master Plan builds upon a campus plan developed for the School by Palmer and Lamdin Associates of Baltimore in 1930, when the School moved to "The Orchards " – a former country estate – from its original location in downtown Baltimore. Only a few of the existing buildings on campus conform in style and footprint to the 1930 master plan, but these buildings capture the essence of the campus and are much loved by students and alumnae. Subsequent buildings are in many cases of significantly lower quality.

Our plan updates the 1930 master plan by proposing high-quality yet modestly-sized buildings connected by colonnades surrounding a 108-foot by 280-foot quadrangle which provides a unifying focus and provides an open formal green space in contrast to the mature woodlands which surround the campus. The new master plan reorganizes the School's four divisions, giving the Lower, Middle, and Upper Schools each a unique identity around the proposed quadrangle, while placing the Little School (a pre-school) adjacent to the historic Gordon House.

The master plan provides for both current and future space needs, and includes enlarged dining facilities, classrooms, laboratories, performance spaces, indoor and athletic facilities and playing fields. The planning strategy sets out a sensible, manageable, and sequential approach to the realization of the master plan, while reorganizing vehicular circulation, dropoffs, and parking. Pedestrian paths are clarified and outdoor spaces are created and enhanced, capitalizing on the natural beauty of the site.

RAMSA Partners Robert A.M. Stern, Graham S. Wyatt, Augusta Barone, and Gary Brewer led the design.