Second Award for Stone Ridge School of the Sacred Heart

Michael Winstanley Architects & Planners (MWAP) is pleased to announce that American School and University Magazine (ASU) has chosen the Stone Ridge Field and Entrance at the Stone Ridge School of the Sacred Heart in Bethesda, MD, as the recipient of the Outstanding Design Award in their Architecture Portfolio, the premier showcase celebrating the best in national education design. This is the second award for this project, and our third award from American School and University Magazine.

Stone Ridge School of the Sacred Heart, founded in 1923 was moved to its current 35-acre site in 1947, after the land and estate known as “Stone Ridge” was purchased from Mr. and Mrs. George Hamilton. Over the years, the campus was built to support the growth of the school, and the master plan, prepared by MWAP, continues to guide these modifications.

Ranked as one of the most academically challenging schools in the DC Metropolitan area, one hundred percent of Stone Ridge graduates go to college, with alumnae attending schools such as the Georgetown University, Princeton University, University of Pennsylvania, and Bucknell University. Notable alumni include Katie Ledecky, Cokie Roberts, Maria Shriver, Joanna Sturm, and Kathleen Kennedy Townsend.

The Stone Ridge Field and Entrance project is the first project in the MWAP master plan to be realized. It encompasses a multipurpose field (officially Gator Field at St. Madeleine Sophie Pavilion) and new campus entrance along with the extension of a loop road which will facilitate additional improvements to the campus circulation. Designed to support soccer, field hockey, lacrosse, and general recreation and ceremonial activities, the cork filled synthetic field will provide a lasting and durable venue for the 750+ K through 12 student body and its faculty. Ancillary to the field are bleachers for 200 spectators, bathrooms, a storage facility, and a concession stand. The stonework surrounding Gator Field is also an award-winning piece of this project, having received the Washington Building Congress Craftsmanship Award in the Masonry category for Exterior Stone in 2015.

The project will be featured along with other awards recipients in the November issue of American School & University magazine.