Wayland Academy

A New Model for Student Life

One of the oldest college preparatory schools in the state, Wayland Academy was established in 1855 with a twin mission of pursuing knowledge and developing character. All 19th century buildings on campus reflect these missions with a stately quality, but as the campus grew, the backside was filled with mid-century modern buildings that ignore the historic side. Burnham Hall, the new Girls’ Dormitory was an opportunity to turn back toward that stately foundation while modernizing both form and materials to meet the needs and goals of Wayland’s students and resident faculty.

HGA collaborated with Wayland Academy to maintain aspects of this historic building while creating a new model for student life. Burnham Hall not only brings high-quality spaces designed to emphasize community and relationships, but brings back that stateliness and quality with a return to the campus’s original palette and form. The Cream City brick, two-story building is divided into four intimate houses with common study spaces for each house, and smaller gathering spaces outside of rooms. Each house is set up with a faculty apartment, where faculty and their family and pets share the building. Harkening back to classical colleges, like Oxford, faculty act as guides and counselors, imparting mentorship through living with their students.