Washington College's New Warehime School of Business Breaks Ground

Washington College is a private liberal arts college founded in 1782 and located in Chestertown, Maryland. Funded by a historic gift in 2024, the newly launched Warehime Business School is grounded in interdisciplinary liberal arts education and global studies, an innovative approach which holistically prepares students to adapt to the ever-changing business landscape of the future.

Tasked with embodying the collaborative and innovative nature of this new school, GWWO developed a design that provides a variety of gathering spaces in a linear and largely transparent “forum” where students, faculty, alumni, and visitors can interact and engage in the cross-disciplinary sharing of ideas. The primary circulation path through the building aligns with this forum, providing direct connections between classrooms and the flexible gathering spaces of the forum.

The building’s exterior massing celebrates the linear forum situated along the northeastern side of the building. The forum is expressed with expansive glass, allowing students to connect to the beautiful physical campus and exterior passersby to view the dynamic activity happening within. A second volume tucked behind the forum is clad in Washington College’s standard campus brick, and houses classrooms, offices, and support spaces, and creates a strong visual connection to adjacent buildings.

During an early GWWO-led visioning meeting, donor Beth Warehime Rizakos coined the phrase,“Let’s meet at Warehime!” as a measure of success. This phrase embodies the desire to make Warehime a primary destination on campus for faculty and students across the entire college. Sited at the intersection of the campus' academic, athletic, and residential areas, the building is positioned to frame one side of a new academic quad filled with mature existing trees, create a strong relationship with Casey Academic Center across College Avenue, and serve as a prominent landmark when viewed from the main campus vehicular entry. The building massing and primary interior circulation route both align with a new outdoor path connecting residential and academic areas of campus, offering all students opportunities to experience the Warehime School on their way to classes, meals and college activities.