Milton Magazine - Milton Academy

the pritzker science centerThe Groundbreaking Is November 8, 2008Milton’s new science building iseagerly anticipated: It has beenwell planned. It has inspiredexcitement and new levels of philanthropy.It will begin to take shape on November 8,2008, and students will file through thedoors in December 2010.J.B. Pritzker, Class of 1982, has made itpossible for Milton to fully realize a promisingplan for taking a leadership role inscience teaching and learning. J.B.’s loyaltyand generous commitment to Milton hascome to fruition in a gift that does morethan recognize the critical importance ofscience. In making the Pritzker ScienceCenter a reality, J.B. explicitly affirmsMilton’s long tradition of cultivating apassion for learning—of educating youngpeople to question, to explore, and to thinkcritically and broadly. When the shovelgoes into the ground on November 8,Milton will begin to build a center wherethe key elements of a Milton educationwill thrive.Powerful themes drive thebuilding designCentrality: Science is a critical forcein our livesVisibility: Seeing science at work enticesthe curious and converts the indifferentTransparency: Exploring togetherand collaborating demystifies scienceWilliam Rawn and Associates have led thisbuilding design, an evolution away fromthe earlier design for science. Why a “new”iteration of science now? The board soughtmaximum effectiveness—spaces thatenabled the most advanced science learning—coupledwith efficiency. The trusteesopted to restudy how we might achieveour most energetic goals, secure controlof costs, rely on sustainable features, andenhance the campus.The design that won the day telegraphs theimportance of science across the campusand to the world. It takes direction fromthe teaching and learning in inquiry-basedscience that has flourished in Milton’sinterim science classrooms. All the programneeds are fulfilled, costs are undercontrol, and sustainability is the watchword,in a new building, on a new site.All eyes on ScienceThe Pritzker Science Center is a presenceon the Milton campus. Connected bothto major academic buildings and greenspace, it defines a new quad, bordered byCox Library on the east and the KellnerPerforming Arts Center on the south.Science is visible across green sitelinesfrom key locations across Centre Street.Science, the building and the activityinside, is visible from the street itself.40 Milton Magazine