New Pavilion Construction Project

If you’ve eaten lunch on the Tandem campus, you might recall crowding around a few outdoor tables, or having to make a run for it to a building lobby or the Senior Lounge on a rainy day. How about trying to find a gathering space for an entire division if the Community Hall was in use? We’re delighted that Tandem Friends very near completion of a covered pavilion space - our first new building project on campus in twenty years! The pavilion is located directly behind the Community Hall building, accessible to the quad. It will include 1700 square feet of open dining/assembly area in addition to bathrooms and a small storage area. As shown in the architect’s depiction, it will be open on three sides with large garage-style doors to allow flow between the cafe and the quad and to maintain access to the outdoors and the feeling of community. 

Architect's depiction of new pavilion

 

Train Architects designed the pavilion and Martin Horn is the builder. “This is the first building project to happen at Tandem Friends School since 1997,” says Whitney Thompson, Head of School. “We are thrilled that we’ve been able to make this project get started so quickly. Clearly, it was the right time.” Martin Horn initially broke ground in November 2020, and despite a few unexpected delays, including the restrictions of COVID, the earth-moving part of the project resumed in early March 2021, followed by the pouring of the building’s foundation and framing of walls and roof.

At Tandem, the combination of the amazing education and truly caring community are the core of who we are as a school. We needed to design a space that supports how important community interactions and relationships are here.  When the pavilion is not used for lunch, it will provide a much-needed large gathering space for an entire division, grade level, or individual class. It will serve as an inclement weather or staging space for many events such as our annual community picnic and Mother’s Day Music Festival. This year we have learned the importance of having large and open spaces; with physical distancing still an important COVID mitigation, we expect the pavilion to be used as a large classroom as well.  

“Funding a project like this is a big accomplishment,” says Whitney Thompson. “With annual fund dollars already committed towards our operating budget, projects like this can only be accomplished when donors are motivated to work together towards something big." The Perry Foundation approved a grant to Tandem of $200,000 with a required 2:1 match.  Several generous donors stepped forward to meet the match.  "We are very grateful to the Perry Foundation for their support and motivating donors to make the pavilion possible."   We also thank the many generous donors who contributed to and continue to donate to this project.  The project is more than 70% funded at this point.  We plan to celebrate the opening of the new Pavilion on October 8.

If you are interested in donating to the pavilion, please contact Tracy Proctor, Director of Institutional Advancement.