After more than two years across two campuses, The Galloway School’s students, faculty, and staff came together on Oct. 19 for a ribbon-cutting and “Welcome Home” celebration at the school’s Chastain Park campus.
The ceremony marked the opening of the school’s transformed campus and new academic building – The Canopy House.
The building includes new science labs, flexible classrooms, and a library. An expanded courtyard will give students across grade levels a place to gather and will allow the school to bring graduation back to campus, according to a press release.
The 65,000 square-foot Canopy House stands on the site of the former Gresham Building, originally built in 1911 as the Fulton County Almshouse. Its four-column brick façade and oval transom window recall that building’s architecture, while selected original architectural elements have been incorporated inside, including salvaged doors serving as wainscoting and reclaimed brick fireplaces.
Fourteen gathering nooks echo Gresham’s booth seating, giving students places to study, talk, and spend time together. The new courtyard, library, and shared spaces extend that emphasis on connection throughout the campus.
“Coming home means bringing back together a school at which, for 57 years, learning remains a deeply human exercise,” Head of School Amir Farokhi said in a statement. “As an alum, I know the difference it makes to have teachers who know you well, celebrate curiosity, and challenge you to think for yourself. As head of school, I want our students to be themselves as they learn to use their voice, ask hard questions, and navigate complexity and ambiguity. The new spaces allow us to pursue the very best of student-centered experiential education, which is where we know deep learning, independent thinking and mastery flourish.”
