Taylor B. Stockdale Community Center
The Taylor B. Stockdale Community Center (previously named Hooper Community Center), an approximately 6,600 SF Spanish Colonial Revival style gymnasium building, was originally constructed in 1931 and repurposed to its current use as a student center in the 1980’s. In 2018, the building underwent a significant upgrade led by Page & Turnbull to further elevate its status as Stockdale’s ‘home base’ for students, faculty, and staff. The newly improved building provides a comfortable place for individuals and small groups to rest, socialize and work in a casual atmosphere, as well as holding space for larger community gatherings. The design strengthened indoor-outdoor connections, increased building envelope performance and day lighting, provided an uplifted first impression of the campus, and honored the history of the building by salvaging and reinstalling historic elements such as the original maple flooring and historic stained glass windows. The Webb Schools prides itself on a commitment to consensus-based decision making, and the voice of each stakeholder—be they student, teacher, maintenance person, or board member—held equal weight during design. Synthesizing this multiplicity of disparate goals into a coherent, holistic solution was a great challenge. Stated objectives from collaborative brainstorming sessions were carefully documented, and proposed solutions were widely circulated with ample time for user feedback, giving every person a chance to be heard. Integrating a state-of-the-art cooling system within the original building shell without compromising the historic character of the space was another challenge of the project. Previously abandoned underfloor duct chases were utilized to preserve the clean lines of the exposed roof trusses, insulation was strategically added throughout, high performance window film was installed to cut down on solar heat gain, and industrial ceiling fans integrated with the mechanical system were included to cut down on energy use while keeping the building comfortable.
