On Oct. 3, the Stuart community gathered at the Staircase of Intellectuality for the highly anticipated Cor Cordis ribbon-cutting ceremony. This project, which was undertaken during the summer of 2024, combined several fundamental student support services in one place to aid in students’ physical, mental, emotional, and academic well-being. As a result, the library, technology support facilities, Learning Center, podcast studio, College Counseling, nurse, health and wellness classrooms, and Campus Ministry room are part of a single integrated space. Cor Cordis, which means “heart of the heart” in Latin, is likely to become a central part of each student’s Stuart experience.
As Director of Facilities and Sustainable Planning, Darren Malone, played a crucial role in the design and construction process. “Cor Cordis really began as a project that was looking to incorporate a comprehensive approach to health and wellness through the grouping of the nurse and counselors in a space where they could support each other and support students better,” said Malone. When Julia Wall became Head of School in 2022, she was motivated to “bring all of those kinds of student support services into one central location where students could have better access to them,” said Malone. He noted that the project also allowed the people who work in those areas of the school to have a more collaborative environment where they could be more creative in how they work with students.
While some preliminary planning took place in January of 2023, the project did not really take shape until mid-November of 2023. Construction began once Prize Day concluded in June of 2024. The tight timetable proved challenging, especially for a project that was “as comprehensive and large as Cor Cordis turned out to be,” Malone explained.
Thankfully, the Stuart community was as enthusiastic about the project as Malone was. Funds for the project came from numerous Stuart supporters, including some large donors and at least a hundred Stuart families.
Already, the project is fulfilling its intended purpose. Aurelia Lopez-Spencer ’28 shared her appreciation for the new center. For her, having such a connected floor plan in the library helped develop relationships and a sense of community going into high school. A fellow 9th grader, Tirzah Twitchell ’28 added that she loves the comfy chairs outside the conference room. Along with other students who utilize the Learning Commons, Twitchell enjoys having such a convenient location to meet.
Ellie Crosby ’29 commented that her favorite new space in Cor Cordis is the versatile Counseling Lounge where students can work, hang out, or visit the nurse, all in one location.
Additionally, many 5th graders were fond of the Campus Ministry space under the stairs. The Dean of Student Life, Kristen Zosche, remarked that she believes that the Campus Ministry room will attract students because of the appealing ambience it offers. Zosche singled out the new podcasting studio, visible from the hallway, as her favorite spot in Cor Cordis. The studio offers students a dedicated space that is unlike anything Stuart has ever had before. Previously, students used various makeshift spaces for producing and editing “Tartan Talk,” Stuart’s podcast series.
Despite the tremendous amount of change the library underwent, Deborah Koehler, Director of Library Services, wanted to preserve certain features that the students loved. It is evident from the layout of the new library that Koehler gave close consideration to the books’ configuration. She decided to keep the fiction section, which is always the most popular area for browsing, together for a “sense of flow in the library.” In arranging books in the custom woodwork shelving, Koehler wanted to place the books in a layout similar to how they were before to ensure that students can easily find them.
The nonfiction sections are divided between the Leadership Conference Room and the Learning Commons, because students usually visit the nonfiction sections with a specific book in mind.
Original plans called for Cor Cordis to be open when school resumed in September. Although finishing touches caused a slight delay, by all accounts the new heart of the school was certainly worth the wait.
