Six Standout Features in the All School Commons

The GFS All School Commons is simply beautiful—made up of open, bright spaces where the community gathers, learns, and will exchange ideas for decades to come. There is a lot to be excited about in the new building, which contains the campus’ Dining Hall and servery, student hangout spots and study lounges, meeting spaces, and 12 art, design, and computer science classrooms in the arts wing of the building—the Abigail R. Cohen Center for the Arts. 

Throughout the fall and into early 2025, the All School Commons opened in phases, starting with the Dining Hall in late October 2024. Classes kicked off in the Abigail R. Cohen Center for the Arts during J-Term in January and all were fully occupied in February. Throughout the year, the spaces have been used for community gatherings, as well: in the Dining Hall, we held our annual holiday dinner for residents of Stenton Family Manor, a shelter for unhoused families, and classrooms and common areas have been used for Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service workshops and Alumni Weekend gatherings.

There are a number of sustainable and impressive things about this building—here are six cool features to explore:

Pizza Oven

The star of the show in the Dining Hall is the electrified pizza oven that faces the servery. Lined with pale gray subway tiles and featuring a horizontal window through which tendrils of flame can be spotted, this oven is outfitted with a special cooking surface that helps create a nice char on the crust. The oven’s internal temperature can reach between 900 and 1200 degrees Fahrenheit, which can cook a pizza in three to four minutes. 

Chris Blain, Director of Business Development at Meriwether Godsey, GFS’ dining services partner in the dining hall, noted that the pizza oven is a unique amenity for a school like GFS. 

“GFS is the only day school that Meriwether Godsey works with that has a dedicated pizza oven and station—it’s much more common in boarding schools,” he said. “Also, we know that Philly has a distinct style of pizza and being able to pull that off is going to be important!” 

Green Roofs

On the second floor of the building, there are two green roofs: The Class of 1970 Climate Action Initiative green roof located right outside of the William B. Dietrich Conference Room, and another that's adjacent to three of the art classrooms. 

Both green roofs are planted with a mix of sedum, self-sufficient perennial stonecrop plants that require no watering and thrive in our local geographical conditions. They are amazing at slowing, absorbing, and filtering rainwater, and can reduce stormwater runoff by up to 65%. 

“Retaining rainwater onsite prevents local flooding to neighboring communities,” says Francine Locke, GFS’ Director of Sustainability. “Climate change has added an urgency to the need for more green stormwater infrastructure, such as green roofs.”

Additionally, stormwater runoff can become contaminated with chemicals such as antifreeze and petroleum products from vehicles parked in streets and lots. These contaminants, when washed away by stormwater from buildings, can pollute natural waterways.

Other benefits of green roofs include: 

• Reducing the “heat island effect” that can be caused when dark-colored roofs absorb radiant heat during summer months.
• Extending a roof’s lifespan (a green roof can last for 40 years or more, more than twice as long as a standard roof).
• Increasing biodiversity of plants and animals.

Plus, Locke notes, they have actually been proven to improve learning conditions.

“Green roofs, as well as other natural green spaces, provide a connection to nature on a school's campus which have been linked to improved cognitive development, greater focus, and higher academic achievement for students.” 

The green roofs on the All School Commons are “extensive green roofs” which are markedly different from “intensive green roofs,” which are landscaped with flowers, trees, or shrubs. That type actually requires irrigation and is more for aesthetic purposes than sustainability. The green roofs at the All School Commons are all about functionality and are an extension of GFS’ ongoing campus-wide stormwater management and habitat restoration efforts.  

Repurposed Willow Oak Tables

During the construction of the All School Commons, a willow oak tree had to be removed. In an effort to honor and repurpose the tree, it was sent to The Challenge Program in Wilmington, Delaware, where youth receiving job training used the wood to build communal tables that now live in the All School Commons. 

These sturdy, smooth tables with beautiful wood grain were placed in the lobby of the Commons (in front of the Donor Wall and in a small nook next to the Dining Hall), as well as in hallways, faculty work rooms, and meeting rooms on the upper floors. This is a small, but powerful, example of Stewardship and Simplicity being woven into the building’s design.

The Fab Lab

The Fabrication Lab AKA The Fab Lab is on the second floor of the Abigail R. Cohen Center for the Arts. This makerspace is the dedicated headquarters for all kinds of design classes (the former makerspace in the Wade Building will remain intact for other science classes’ use).

John Henderson, Director of IT and Head of Computer Science and Digital Media at GFS, gave input on the layout of the Fab Lab. He explained that everything is set up to facilitate the unique work that design, robotics, and programming classes do. For instance, there are open cabinets with adjustable shelving where students can store large or bulky projects or prototypes-in-progress. The workshop is outfitted with hand tools, power tools, 3D printers, an industrial laser cutter, and soldering equipment.

In the future, Henderson said the department hopes to add even more equipment, like a computer-controlled sewing machine and a vacuform machine (to make industrial packaging), to the Fab Lab.

“There is so much space here that we can keep growing and adding to the resources we can provide for students in these classes,” he said.

Accessibility Features

The All School Commons is ADA-compliant, and fully accessible to our entire community. An elevator runs from the lower level up to the third (top) floor, and a wheelchair lift makes the upper level of the Loeb Performing Arts Center accessible. There are ADA-compliant bathrooms on every floor, wide halls and doorways, and wave-to-open doors between the Commons and Loeb that make movement between the spaces available for anyone in a wheelchair.  

Darkroom

The lower level of the Abigail R. Cohen Center for the Arts is home to what GFS Head of School Dana Weeks jokingly refers to as “the dark arts”—photography, film, video, and digital media. A remarkable feature of this floor is the 20-bay darkroom, a substantially larger facility than the school has ever had—in fact, it's one of the biggest darkrooms on the East Coast. This means that there will be ample accommodations for the growing number of students enrolling in photo classes who want to experience darkroom photography. 

As GFS photography teacher Michael Koehler noted, the flow of the darkroom is also much-improved. 

“The smart design of the space, multiple enlarger stations, new sink, and functioning hot and cold water will provide a smoother experience for the students to learn the ins and outs of darkroom photography,” he said. “The new equipment, like a silver recovery system, will also allow for more students to print and work in the darkroom and experience the magic of photography.”  

For more information about the All School Commons, please visit the Picture This campaign site. 

Feature image and willow oak tables photo: ©2025 Halkin Mason Photography LLC