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Brooks School
Ashburn Chapel Renovation and Expansion

A targeted expansion and renewal of this beloved campus building adds light, accessibility, and gathering spaces seamlessly—like they've always been there.

Balancing preservation and progress

Ashburn Chapel is a flexible assembly and worship space used by the Brooks School community. In the 83 years since its construction, the school had grown, and the space was beyond capacity. The renovation needed to add 100 seats to the existing chapel—with a look and feel that remained consistent, but better: more comfortable, more equitable, and more energy efficient.

Targeted additions (green) make space for 100 additional seats, a reconfigured entrance, and a rear lobby with elevator access between floors.
Expanded entrance lobby
BEFORE: Both natural and artificial light were limited in the original chapel
The expanded chapel adds seats without altering the look and feel of the iconic campus space.

A two-level, differentiated approach

Our approach to renewing this iconic campus building was divided by floors. Upstairs, we kept the look and feel of the c.1930 chapel: a legacy of gathering and community passed down to future generations. By contrast, our approach to the lower level was guided by modern functionality and the vibrancy of student life.

The chapel’s character was maintained in its new expanded portions.

Digging down for social space

The basement was fully gutted and excavated, and a new lowered floor accommodates flexible-use spaces and code-compliant restrooms, storage, mechanical, and electrical spaces. The building’s existing exterior walls received deep energy retrofit treatment, thereby increasing their insulation value. All new exterior walls have insulating capacity similar to that of the retrofitted walls.

New space (green) and a total reconfiguration of the lower level add flexible gathering and study space, expanded restrooms, and storage.
Basement under construction
New, flexible spaces in the lower level host a variety of formal and informal gatherings.

Connecting to nature inside and out

A primary focus of the lower-level renewal was to make it light and bright—not a typical subterraneal space. Large windows, a vibrant palette, and a generous, accessible pathway from the chapel help create a lively experience. Outdoors, a new patio overlooks playing courts and the lush landscape beyond: a welcoming spot for after-chapel study and socializing.

A light, bright elevator and stair lobby fill the pathway from upper to lower levels with daylight.
A sunny terrace expands the community life of the chapel to the outdoors.
A highly insulated new envelope, and deep energy retrofit of existing walls, improved whole-building energy efficiency and occupant comfort.
Project impact
  • 60%

    Increase in upper-level square footage, added while maintaining the building’s iconic character

We renovated, expanded, modernized, and rebuilt this iconic space to house communal moments for generations to come.
John R. Packard Jr.Head of School

Project Team

A.T. Leonard & Associates

Consigli Construction Co.

LAM Partners

RDK Engineers

Rist-Frost-Shumway (RFS)

Whitman and Bingham Associates

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