The first new academic building on the McCallie School campus since the 1970s will begin to take shape this summer as school administrators and trustees held a groundbreaking ceremony April 25 for Walker Hall.
Named for outgoing headmaster Dr.
Kirk Walker ’69, Walker Hall will be dedicated to the teachings of science and technology for Upper School students.
“Obviously we need more space,” said science department chair David Mouron ’73. “We have more students taking science than we actually have students in the Upper School.”
The 40,000-square-foot facility will open in January 2016. Administrators expect it to transform the campus experience, expanding the classroom possibilities not only in the sciences but across the curriculum.
“We have a remarkable science faculty, and what they are able to achieve is amazing,” Dr. Walker said. “Particularly given the spaces in which they have been operating. I am very excited for the future of McCallie and for our science program. In that same space, we will be able to add some very rich technology. It will be a very dynamic space for all of us. I am deeply honored that my name is going to be on the building.”
McCallie’s goal is to make available to students some of the most sophisticated equipment and software available. Walker Hall will allow spaces where students will be free to explore advanced robotics, video production, animation, engineering and architectural design, as well as learn programming code and app development.