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the Common Room, I recognized that both the room and the experience were, in fact, quite uncommon. The shared space placed teachers around the perimeter of the room, with 6th-, 7th-, and 8th-grade students in its middle. Such logistics were conducive to developing special relationships and time-management skills. I watched teachers and older students do their work in the Common Room. The teachers were modeling behavior for the students; the older students were modeling for the younger students. A culture was born and nurtured. Much of our 8th-grade mosaic project (thank you, Ms. Sabatacakis) was done outside of class. It was not a big deal to check in with Ms. Sabat during a discretionary period; in fact, she expected it. Our teachers learned more about us as learners in the time we spent outside of class and the questions we raised. The students learned more about the teachers, and in turn, we worked harder for people we knew and respected. All of this was made possible by the space design and the conviction that, given the opportunity and responsibility, students will rise to the occasion. CIRCA 1992 When I started teaching at Trevor, I began to understand the more subtle values of the common spaces. I realized that my class never had to end at "the bell" (although it should be noted that Trevor has never had bells). Our debates and class discussions would often spill into the Common Room and draw in other community members. The space cultivated an intellectual environment and drove higher-level thinking. We were having so much fun working with the students inside and outside of the classroom, and we could see its daily impact. We felt that we were the luckiest faculty in the world. I also benefited as a coach (boys' varsity soccer and varsity basketball), with unlimited access to my team in The Center. We would check in constantly during the day to discuss upcoming games, practices, and even the latest hip hop crazes. The relationships and chemistry bred from these opportunities were quantifiable, both in wins and in lifelong friendships. CIRCA 2015 The physical design of a space gives a visitor a clear understanding about the mission, vision, and values of an institution. At Trevor, it is instantly clear that our unique Common Rooms and Center serve as the nuclei of our academic community. As an administrator, and as an alum, I am incredibly proud of how our mission is communicated so vibrantly through these unique spaces. Many independent schools boast strong teacher-student relationships but few dedicate the time and space to cultivate those relationships. Trevor has many tenets that promote these relationships inside and outside of the classroom, including our advisory program and small class size. But most central to our philosophy and mission is the design and practice of our common spaces. With students populating the center of the room and faculty desks as satellites along its perimeter, the close proximity promotes collegiality and professional development within and between departments. Departments are not in siloes, and each faculty member is encouraged to engage interdepartmentally and understand the school's entire curriculum. When we interview prospective faculty, we often take them on a tour of our common spaces before we sit down for a formal interview. We gauge the candidate's reaction to the physical design and the school's total access to faculty. The faculty members who are attracted to our design are deeply committed to both the academic and social/emotional development of young people. Our faculty wants to be connected and available to the students and to their colleagues. Our students quickly learn that with such faculty accessibility comes a responsibility to be proactive about their education. To meet, debate, ask questions, share theories, develop clarity of ideas, and explore passions outside of the classroom—this intellectual activity is deeply ingrained in our culture, and one that is advanced by a deliberate architectural design. The ability to design from the ground up in our new facilities has been a unique gift. We instructed our architects to start with Trevor's common rooms and other shared spaces, and design outward from those central spaces—and they could not have responded more adeptly and enthusiastically to this concept. n TREVOR DAY SCHOOL / 33 INSIDE TREVOR TREVOR TRANSLATES FEATURE AR TICLES ALUMNI

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