Sandy Spring Monthly Meeting Lyceum - Sandy Spring, MD

Client: Sandy Spring Monthly Meeting

Building Footprint: 5,615 sqf

Scope of Work: Renovation and expansion of the historic Lyceum Building on the grounds of the Sandy Spring Friends Meeting where Quakers have worshipped for over 250 years. The same team also developed the campus master plan at the same site.

Originally constructed in 1859, the Lyceum is a contributing structure within the Sandy Spring Historic District and has undergone several additions. In this latest transformation, the original white clapboard structure with its distinctive green metal roof and front porch, was restored to preserve its historic character.

Inside, the gathering space was enlarged, its original oak flooring repaired, and updated with new lighting and built-in casework. The remainder of the older classroom wings were removed to make way for a new two-story brick classroom addition, which now houses nine classrooms, restrooms, and a wheelchair lift. Designed to echo the materials and massing of the historic Meeting House, the addition features aluminum-clad wood windows and a green standing seam metal roof, establishing visual continuity with the existing buildings. A glass-enclosed hyphen connects the new and old structures, offering a graceful architectural transition and a transparent moment between past and present. Throughout construction, special attention was paid to protecting the surrounding historic cemetery, with careful site planning and landscaping that enhances both accessibility and reverence.

While traditional in appearance, the new addition embraces sustainable building practices. Constructed with energy-efficient SIPs, it includes a VRV heating and cooling system, solar panels, LED lighting, low-flow plumbing fixtures, and natural linoleum flooring. The entire facility is now protected by modern fire alarm and sprinkler systems, ensuring a safe and enduring home for generations of Sandy Spring Friends to come.