The House of Stone
A new Casa dorm leads the list of recent campus upgrades.
This weekend, the campus community and Board of Trustees gathered to dedicate the completion of the Casa de Piedra renewal project and, with that, the culmination of a decades-long project to bring all student housing up to the same high standard. A high point of the event was a rendition of Viva la Casa by the dorm's new occupants, Thacher's freshman girls.
However, summer's cacophony of power tools and heavy equipment wasn't limited to that corner of campus; Thacher's maintenance staff chipped away at a long list of summer projects with the renovation of the freshman girls' dorm topping the list.
Casa de Piedra, more commonly referred to as "Casa", has been a beloved dormitory at The Thacher School since 1964. In its almost 50 years, Casa has housed both boys and girls, freshmen, juniors, and seniors. More recently, Casa has served as the freshman girls' dorm, perfectly situated near the barns and Lower School (freshman boys).
Renovation of this aging dorm, a $6.1 million project, was fully funded by the generosity of alumni, parents, grandparents, and friends. With the funds raised, there were many people involved in making this dream dorm a reality: Matt Construction, Heathcote & Associates, Bostrum & Associates, Jensen Design & Survey, Inc, Thom Hume Engineers, and the Architectural Review Committee.
Construction began on the new Casa in the summer of 2012 and was completed a week after the return of fall EDTs this September. The girls of the class of 2017 were chomping at the bit to move into their new dorm, and they have not been disappointed. The dorm boasts spacious, well-ventilated rooms, high ceilings, modern kitchen and common area, its own study hall, and plenty of outdoor space with the original heritage oaks in tact.
The ladies of Casa themselves say it best:
One thing that I really appreciate about Casa is that it's very open; the entire area is inviting. There are tons of windows (that can open to let in fresh air) and from every single one of the rooms there is a beautiful view. Also the common room is very inviting, when you walk in it's like a hotel lobby. There are tons of places to sit and hang out as well as an amazing television, and of course there is also the huge kitchen. Last but not least, the courtyard is possibly one of the best parts of Casa. You can do yoga, lie around, do homework, or just hang out with friends. I just wanted to thank everybody who contributed to Casa. Going to Thacher is a dream come true and living in Casa is like a fairy tale. —Bridget Levy '17
As one of the last to live in old Casa, I was anxious to see the remodel because I loved the older dorm so much. I'll admit that it was worn down and in need of repair, but who doesn't miss sinks in each room and holes in the walls big enough to pass notes? Casa was such an important facet of my freshman year. As a senior, I feel so blessed to live here again with such a great group of girls. The new dorm is incredible. My room is bigger than my room at home! The dorm seems to fit perfectly within the trees. —Lili Boyle '14
The new Casa is absolutely beautiful, and the fact that its layout is similar to that of the original building means that residents will enjoy the closeness and camaraderie of past classes who loved their Casa experience. Though the freshman girls have lived there for only a few weeks, they already feel at home. I am especially thrilled with the way the dorm incorporates its surroundings and includes a wonderful backyard area (and those gorgeous oak trees!) as part of its space. —Megan Carney (Dorm Head)
As if supervising the final installation of two-decades of dorm renovation projects wasn't enough, the Thacher Maintenance staff had numerous other projects keeping them busy in the summer months. Some of their projects include:
Back
However, summer's cacophony of power tools and heavy equipment wasn't limited to that corner of campus; Thacher's maintenance staff chipped away at a long list of summer projects with the renovation of the freshman girls' dorm topping the list.
Casa de Piedra, more commonly referred to as "Casa", has been a beloved dormitory at The Thacher School since 1964. In its almost 50 years, Casa has housed both boys and girls, freshmen, juniors, and seniors. More recently, Casa has served as the freshman girls' dorm, perfectly situated near the barns and Lower School (freshman boys).
Renovation of this aging dorm, a $6.1 million project, was fully funded by the generosity of alumni, parents, grandparents, and friends. With the funds raised, there were many people involved in making this dream dorm a reality: Matt Construction, Heathcote & Associates, Bostrum & Associates, Jensen Design & Survey, Inc, Thom Hume Engineers, and the Architectural Review Committee.
Construction began on the new Casa in the summer of 2012 and was completed a week after the return of fall EDTs this September. The girls of the class of 2017 were chomping at the bit to move into their new dorm, and they have not been disappointed. The dorm boasts spacious, well-ventilated rooms, high ceilings, modern kitchen and common area, its own study hall, and plenty of outdoor space with the original heritage oaks in tact.
The ladies of Casa themselves say it best:
One thing that I really appreciate about Casa is that it's very open; the entire area is inviting. There are tons of windows (that can open to let in fresh air) and from every single one of the rooms there is a beautiful view. Also the common room is very inviting, when you walk in it's like a hotel lobby. There are tons of places to sit and hang out as well as an amazing television, and of course there is also the huge kitchen. Last but not least, the courtyard is possibly one of the best parts of Casa. You can do yoga, lie around, do homework, or just hang out with friends. I just wanted to thank everybody who contributed to Casa. Going to Thacher is a dream come true and living in Casa is like a fairy tale. —Bridget Levy '17
As one of the last to live in old Casa, I was anxious to see the remodel because I loved the older dorm so much. I'll admit that it was worn down and in need of repair, but who doesn't miss sinks in each room and holes in the walls big enough to pass notes? Casa was such an important facet of my freshman year. As a senior, I feel so blessed to live here again with such a great group of girls. The new dorm is incredible. My room is bigger than my room at home! The dorm seems to fit perfectly within the trees. —Lili Boyle '14
The new Casa is absolutely beautiful, and the fact that its layout is similar to that of the original building means that residents will enjoy the closeness and camaraderie of past classes who loved their Casa experience. Though the freshman girls have lived there for only a few weeks, they already feel at home. I am especially thrilled with the way the dorm incorporates its surroundings and includes a wonderful backyard area (and those gorgeous oak trees!) as part of its space. —Megan Carney (Dorm Head)
As if supervising the final installation of two-decades of dorm renovation projects wasn't enough, the Thacher Maintenance staff had numerous other projects keeping them busy in the summer months. Some of their projects include:
- Clean-up, repairs, upgrades, and painting of all the dorms and classrooms.
- Reparative work on the athletic fields and facilities.
- Supervising construction of the new Jess Kahle Arena.
- Management of 14 faculty moves that included painting and upgrades to faculty residences.
- Extensive remodel of the "second-busiest kitchen on campus" (the Mulligan's).
- Renovation of the College Counseling office area.
- Installation of grass and irrigation system in the Middle School courtyard.
- Construction of small rock amphitheater behind Middle School.
- Extensive brush and invasive flammable tree removal near homes and facilities made possible by U.S. Forest Service Grant Fund.
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