A New Upper School for Sidwell Friends

In June 2024, Sidwell Friends began work to renovate the Upton Street building, once the Washington Home & Community Hospices nursing home, into a new Upper School for grades 9-12. The school will open in the fall of 2026 and will be the largest building on campus, at more than 130,000 square feet.

The project marks the next stage of the School’s long-held dream of reuniting all three divisions—the Lower, Middle, and Upper Schools—on the Washington, DC campus for the first time in more than 60 years since the Lower School moved to Bethesda, Maryland. Once the Upper School is complete, Sidwell Friends will begin raising the necessary funds to renovate the current Upper School, located at the center of campus, into a new Lower School for grades preK-4.

Construction Timeline and Updates

September 3, 2024

We have three post-Labor Day updates:

Interior demolition on the first floor of the Upton building will wrap up by the end of the week.
You may see some electrical work taking place this month. Today, September 3, PEPCO technicians will disconnect the building’s electrical transformer, which sits near the sidewalk on 37th Street. To maintain power, the contractor will install a temporary generator near the loading dock on the east side of the building, closer to the Sidwell Friends campus. That unit will run only during construction hours and will be screened to minimize noise. Then, later in September, PEPCO will install new—still temporary—service to a shed adjacent to the 37th Street entrance that will replace the generator as the primary power source.
The contractor will meet with city inspectors in early September as a prelude to installation of fencing, wood chips, and a watering system to protect existing trees, including special and heritage trees. Later this month, workers will install erosion and siltation control measures around the property.

August 23, 2024

Wonder what’s happening inside the Upton building? Here’s a glimpse, captured this week by our digital producer. A LOT has changed since June!

August 12, 2024

We have received a list of projected start and end dates for some of the major work on the project that is most likely to create above-average noise levels on the worksite. As the start date for each of these activities approaches, we will provide more detailed information.

Late August – October 2024: Demolition of a portion of the building on the east (37^th Street) side
October – December 2024: Installation of micro-piles that will support areas of new construction
October 2024 – May 2025: Work on building façade, including areas of new construction
December 2024 – March 2025: Installation of structural steel in areas of new construction
July – November 2025: Installation of utilities on the project site.
March – August 2025: Digging of geothermal wells

August 5, 2024

This morning a crane operator arrived on campus at 6:15 a.m., long before the agreed-upon start time of 10 a.m. The crane was on campus to do work at the Middle School unrelated to the Upton project. We apologize for the noise this caused and the contractor that hired the crane has apologized as well.

July 22, 2024

Progress continues on the interior of the building. Demolition underway and will be completed by the end of August. Removal of asbestos by a licensed abatement contractor is scheduled to end in mid-August. Here’s a list of other work that will taking place over the summer:

Early August: Workers will begin digging plumbing pipe trenches in the existing 1^st floor concrete slab floor; that work will continue through early September.
Early August: Installation will begin of erosion and siltration control measures surrounding the site. This will consist of a black mesh-fabric fence and filter barriers at the stormwater drains along the road.
Mid August: Tree-protection work will begin, consisting of special fencing, woodchips, and regular watering to project existing trees, including many special and heritage trees.
Late August: Crews will removal of the existing underground fuel storage tank adjacent to the building and begin demolition of a section of the building on the eastern (37^th Street) side.

Livestream Monitoring Video of Upton Street and 37th Street

By agreement with our neighbors, Sidwell Friends has positioned two video cameras near the corner of 37th Street and Upton Street. One camera faces south on 37th Street; the other faces west on Upton Street. These cameras provide real-time video of vehicles as vehicles entering and leaving the construction site along both streets. They will be in place until the project is complete.

37th Street View

Upton Street View

New Upper School at a Glance

The new Upper School will replace the existing 1964 structure and its 1997 addition. Some highlights:

Geo-thermal wells and solar panels will generate renewable energy and put the School on a path to creating a carbon-neutral campus.
The Learning Commons will create a new academic hub as home to the library, student technology support, quiet study areas, and the School Archives.
Eleven science labs and three science courtyards will expand opportunities for research and create flexible space for robotics and science projects.
“Quaker Commons” will provide open and flexible dining spaces indoors and out and will feature a teaching kitchen that can serve as a classroom and gathering space.
The Fox Den store and coffee shop will serve as a gathering spot for all to meet and relax.
The Center for Ethical Leadership will support community-service initiatives and provide resources to affinity groups across all grades at the School.
The Center for Teaching and Learning will provide a space for faculty education and training, with a prototype classroom for testing new approaches and technologies.

Project Goals

Sidwell Friends School acquired Upton Street property and building from Washington Home & Community Hospices in 2017 after the non-profit organization decided to close and sell the nursing home and transition to an in-home hospice care model. For Sidwell, this presented an unexpected opportunity to add an adjacent six-acre property—one that would allow the School to reunite its three divisions—Lower, Middle, and Upper School—on to one campus.

The School spent the next seven years raising the more than $110 million needed to pay for the purchase and the cost of renovating the building.

Once complete, the New Upper School will become a vibrant and collaborative environment for students and faculty. Unifying the School will benefit every student by facilitating engagement between age groups and fostering an even stronger sense of community. Teachers will have more opportunities to partner across divisions and will have greater access to professional development tools through the new Center for Teaching and Learning.

In addition, managing one campus will increase operational efficiency, lower costs, and decrease the School’s environmental footprint.

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