Solebury School Abbe Science Centre

The Solebury School is a private boarding and day school for grades seven through twelve. Despite its close proximity to New York City and Philadelphia, the campus strikes a dramatic contrast to the pace and congestion we associate with modern life. Graced by century-old oaks and willows, the campus is a rustic agrarian village built around the original farmhouse, barn and outbuildings of the farm it once was. The first modern building on the campus, the Abbe Science Centre is shaped by its site and the culture of the school. Its program of mathematics and science classrooms and labs was designed to meet the highest competitive standards in pedagogy and technology, including sustainable design.

The culture of the school is one with its environment. Physical connection and views to the outdoors are sacrosanct; the outdoors provides the “corridors” between classrooms. Abbe Science Centre is a one-story, L-shaped building that exploits the N-S and E-W axis for introduction of daylighting and passive solar design.