Dining Commons at Kents Hill School

Dining Commons at Kents Hill School
Project Narrative

At this small private high school in central Maine, the Architect has provided design services for its Campus Masterplan and eleven construction projects, both new buildings and renovations, over a twenty-year span.
Early on, it was acknowledged that the existing aged dining facility, known as “the Commons”, was a most important part of campus life for both students and staff. Its strategic location at a campus crossroads was also acknowledged, and thus this new Commons is located just several feet north of the old, which was maintained in full service throughout the construction period, then razed.
Completed in August 2016, this 14,400 square foot, $5.1M dining commons seats 320 students and staff in its main dining hall and adjacent, more intimate dining alcove. Two meeting rooms provide seating for an additional 28 people. Unlike the cafeteria-style dining hall it replaced, this facility employs a “scatter” or food-court style model, offering increased menu flexibility and choice. An LED menu screen near the entrance is updated daily and directs diners to various stations, including salad and sandwich bars, a pizza oven, homestyle cooking, a grill, Pacific Rim cuisine and gluten-free options. Except for a window into the bakery, most of the food preparation work is done behind the scenes in the kitchen, with final cooking and presentation at one of the stations. The dish drop-off window, often the source of unwanted noise, is strategically located behind the stone fireplace.
The building is placed at the terminus of a gracious walkway leading from the academic area, passing through a grove of towering pines, with views to the athletic complex and several dormitories on each side. Composed of materials traditional on the campus (red brick, white siding and trim), the building renders these materials in a gently modern manner. Windows provide both specific and panoramic views; the two-story main dining hall gestures toward the west and its mountain views with a generous, “visor-like” roof projection and a motorized scrim provides daylight control. A large terrace allows al fresco dining and space for outdoor events, including a fire pit facing the sunset. A student art gallery near the Commons’ entrance invites diners to linger before and after meals.