Bringing the Heart of Campus to Life
When I was tasked with leading the Our Way Forward construction, a project our architects likened to “open-heart surgery” on our campus, the enormity of the task seemed daunting. How do we undertake such a significant campus transformation with minimal disruption to school life?
From the outset, I saw the biggest challenge as balancing transformation with continuity, delivering a highly complex project while keeping our boys, faculty, staff, visitors, and construction teams safe and allowing school life to continue.
Safety was always our priority. Schedules can be adjusted, budgets can be managed, and construction problems can be solved, but when it comes to people’s safety and well-being, there is no compromise. Every decision had to begin with that principle.
The heritage designation of our site added significant complexity, with numerous regulatory requirements, permit and approval processes, and construction restrictions. Our location in a ravine added another layer of regulatory and environmental responsibilities. Construction activities and schedules had to comply with environmental requirements, including restrictions around bird nesting periods. Opening walls, ceilings, and underground areas of our heritage property revealed infrastructure and site conditions that required us to adjust our original plans. All of these elements affected the sequence and timing of the work.
What I learned is that successful project leadership is not about expecting everything to go exactly according to plan. It is about having the right team, governance, and decision-making processes in place so that when the unexpected happens, we can assess the situation, adapt quickly, and keep moving forward.
Two comments I received during the project captured what success looked like for me. One faculty member told me that the two years of activity had not affected his teaching life. On another occasion, a parent shared that her son had never complained that construction had negatively affected his school experience.
Those were simple comments, but they meant a great deal to us. They reminded me that the most meaningful measure of success was not whether people noticed how much work went into managing the construction—it was that they didn’t have to notice it at all.
Today, as I watch our students, faculty, and staff move through our new spaces and gather around the dining tables, sharing a meal and enjoying the new Alumni Community Hall, I realize that I am no longer looking at a construction project. I am witnessing our vision come to life.
