George School students are learning history in seven new, high-tech, and eco-friendly classrooms now that the renovated McFeely building has opened for classes with the start of the new school year. A seven-month green renovation has transformed the McFeely building, once the school’s library, into the home of the History Department. Each of its new classrooms has natural daylight, energy-efficient electrical lighting, an interactive whiteboard, and ergonomic furniture. The revamped building also includes a multi-use community space, a department office, a faculty work room, an elevator to improve accessibility, and an energy-efficient HVAC system that will provide air conditioning during the hot months.

“The members of the history department are extremely grateful to start the new year in McFeely,” said Tom English, head of the History Department. “Their dedication and creativity would allow them to teach well in just about any environment, but it is inspiring and energizing to have such an attractive, up-to-date space to share with our students.”

Designed to accommodate a variety of teaching styles within a flexible space, each new classroom covers at least 510 square feet. Teachers can take advantage of the classrooms’ interactive whiteboards, which function as high-tech chalkboards, to enhance student learning. With touch-sensitive screens that can display material from computer screens, the interactive whiteboards allow teachers to incorporate a variety of digital media into lessons. Teachers can write on the boards during class and then save their notes electronically for later use. Regular whiteboards with dry-erase markers are also available in all of the classrooms.

Guided by green building principles, the renovation sought to create an attractive learning environment through the use of natural light. According to the U.S. Green Building Council, research shows that daylit school environments enhance students’ health and academic achievement, and promote positive moods. On the ground level of McFeely, six classrooms were constructed at the perimeter to include the building’s original tall, narrow windows, now fitted with new, energy-efficient double-pane glass.

Eight new skylights were constructed in the ceiling of the central, multi-use community space. To add daylight access in the one classroom on the lower level of the building, the ground outside one of its walls was excavated, and a new window was built in the wall.

Constructed as a library in 1965, the McFeely building became available for its new purpose when the Learning Commons and Mollie Dodd Anderson Library opened at George School in 2009. Now that the History Department has moved to McFeely, the former history classrooms in the Bancroft building have been added to the English Department.

The renovation strove to maintain and complement the design of the building’s original architect, Charles Hough, a 1944 George School graduate. The building’s purpose, though new, also bears a connection to McFeely’s past. The structure’s namesake, Richard H. McFeely (1904–1966), was once a George School history teacher. Known to students as “Mr. Dick,” Richard McFeely also served as George School’s director of studies before becoming the school’s fourth head of school, a position he held from 1948 to 1966.

The renovation was guided by the LEED® standards established by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). George School gained experience in LEED design, construction, and operation through the creation of the Mollie Dodd Anderson Library, a building that successfully achieved LEED Gold certification. The renovation was designed by Mark B. Thompson Associates LLC of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and constructed by Nason Construction Inc., also of Philadelphia. Both firms are members of USGBC with training and experience in LEED building.

The McFeely building’s green features include the following:

• Ample use of daylight
• Energy-efficient electrical lighting with vacancy sensors
• Energy-efficient double-pane glass used for all windows
• Floor tile made from renewable resources
• Use of reclaimed wood, brick, and steel from the original building
• Dual-flush toilets
• Low-emitting paints and glues
• Chairs, desks, and tables made from environmentally friendly materials
• A more efficient heating system that connects the building to the campus steam line
• A garden that is scheduled to be planted outside the building with mostly native plants

About George School
Founded in 1893 by members of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers), George School, a rigorous coed boarding and day school for grades nine through twelve, educates students from twenty-one states, thirty-seven foreign countries, and a variety of ethnic, racial, religious, and economic backgrounds. Through its commitment to diversity and the Quaker values of equality, integrity, and peacemaking, George School inspires students to be led by their own truths while respecting and appreciating opinions and beliefs different from their own. George School was one of the first schools in the United States to implement an International Baccalaureate diploma program. For information about admission, please call 215.579.6547 or visit http://www.georgeschool.org.