PROJECT  Saint James School Pohanka Fine Arts Center

ARCHITECT  MSB Architects

LOCATION  Hagerstown, Maryland, US​

PROJECT COMPLETION DATE  3/29/2021

ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN TEAM  M. Scott Bowen, AIA & Janelle Horst, AIA
OWNER/CLIENT  Saint James School
CONTRACTOR/CONSTRUCTION MANAGER  Callas Contractors
PHOTOGRAPHER  Chris Spielmann
LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT
CIVIL ENGINEER Triad Engineering
STRUCTURAL ENGINEER  Matonak & Associates
MECHANICAL ENGINEER  Consolidated Engineering
ELECTRICAL ENGINEER  Consolidated Engineering
CONSULTANT  Theshold Acoustics
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SUMMARY DESCRIPTION OF PROJECT  
Saint James School, founded in 1842, is a coeducational Episcopal boarding school located on more than 800 acres in western Maryland. Despite the school’s expansive rural setting, its academic and residential buildings cluster around a natural spring known as the Bai Yuka. This historic landscape feature anchors campus life and reinforces a strong sense of community and connection to place.

The Saint James Fine Arts Center reflects a renewed institutional commitment to the arts and the desire to create a dedicated home for music, visual art, and performance. Prior to the project, arts programs were housed in outdated and scattered facilities that limited interdisciplinary collaboration and public engagement. The new building consolidates these programs into a 22,000 square foot facility that introduces a civic presence while remaining sensitive to its pastoral surroundings.

The design responds to the expressive and structured nature of artistic practice. A curved central volume framed by rectilinear wings creates a formal composition that symbolizes the tension between tradition and innovation. Located adjacent to the Bai Yuka, the center opens to the surrounding landscape through large windows that capture natural light and long views. Native plantings and visible stormwater systems reconnect the site to the spring’s watershed, reinforcing environmental awareness and place-based learning.

The center supports health and comfort by offering spaces filled with natural light and a warm material palette that enhances sensory experience. Acoustically isolated studios, a light-filled lobby, and a flexible gallery invite creativity, reflection, and community gathering.

In its clarity, craft, and connection to its setting, the Saint James Fine Arts Center aspires to permanence. As early headmaster Dr. Kerfoot once wrote of the school, “the work thus far done has been worthwhile. It will stand.”

JURY COMMENTS (If applicable)

Here the arts are a heartbeat, giving young people a sanctuary, the arts and the ages are woven together through a strong gesture in the roof designed by the architects.

IMAGES (Captions and Photographer Credit)
1. Exterior View from Bai Yuka; Chris Spielmann
2. Dusk View from Bai Yuka; Chris Spielmann
3. Recital Hall; Chris Spielmann
4. Exterior View from Claggett Hall; Chris Spielmann
5. Student Commons; Chris Spielmann
6. Atrium; Chris Spielmann
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