Macdonald Zuberec Ensslen Architects, Inc.

This unusual commission arose from a 1993 fire, which destroyed the oldest wing of Woodland School in Louth Township. Although the first building on the site, dating 1864, had been demolished for early stages of school expansion, the burned wing dated from 1914 and formed part of the educational imprint for three generations of local residents. While the ashes were still warm, an alumni group approached the Board to request that the replacement wing reflect the character of the original. The Board Agreed.

Although the original design featured a raised, ground floor over a basement, the new wing recognized current accessibility standards by location the main floor at grade to align with other newer portions of the school. The new four classroom wing gave homage to its predecessor by a sloping shingled roof, tall windows, high ceilings, wood shingled gables and two protruding gabled entrance vestibules as originally used on the old school to separate the sexes. A sky lit atrium features the bell from the 1864 building as part of a ceiling sculpture. The sloping roof melded into a traditional flat roof for the rear portion of the addition.