Wilmington Friends School sought an expansion that would increase space for both arts and athletics. As part of the project, however, the school wanted the design to reflect a strong embrace of the Quaker practice and principles that lie at the heart of the school’s mission and identity.

To design what would prove to be a significant expansion, VMA drove a collaborative, consensus-oriented process that would create  spaces embodying the school’s values like simplicity, humility, and warmth. In the arts wing, the expansion sought to facilitate both performing arts and meeting space for worship. VMA’s design brings the surrounding Alapocas Woods inside through nineteen-foot high floor-to-ceiling windows, as well as through flourishes like the extensive use of light maple. The venue can seat 350 people with an AV/IT system integrated subtly throughout. Adjacent are a music room, practice rooms, two art classrooms with ample north light, and a ceramics studio.

A new gymnasium supports the school’s student athletes and also provides a home for the After School Program. A wide, covered porch provides space for play and recreation even in inclement weather.