Westminster has long cultivated innovative, entrepreneurial initiatives alongside an academic program that consistently ranks among the most successful in the nation. But unlike our highly regarded core curriculum, our most creative platforms—think WCAT, Robotics, StudioW, and others—have been built in borrowed space, attracting ample student participants against all odds. That is about to change.
I am thrilled to announce the construction of The Blake Center in the heart of our campus on the site of Scott Hall and directly across the Quad from Pressly Hall. Trustee Liz and Frank Blake were captivated by the vision for a center of innovation that would house some of our most dynamic, future-focused opportunities under one roof and provide both the well-designed space and collaborative possibilities that these programs deserve.
To say that we are grateful for the Blakes’ generosity would be an understatement. Like philanthropic heroes throughout Westminster’s history, Liz and Frank envisioned the creation of a legacy that would transform our student experience. Our gratitude for their commitment is matched only by our confidence that this investment will inspire a generation of inventors, entrepreneurs, problem-solvers—in a word, leaders—who will use The Blake Center as an incubator for their ambition to change the world for the better.
From Campbell Hall to Hawkins Hall to Barge Commons to soon-to-be-finished Love Hall—and more—we are experiencing the profound impact of new buildings and gathering spaces across Westminster’s entire campus. The Blake Center will amplify this impact even further when it is finished in 2026. It will be a powerful catalyst for encouraging the creativity and curiosity of generations of Wildcats.
Read on and enjoy a preview of this iconic new landmark at Westminster!
Onward,
Keith Evans
President
Westminster has long cultivated innovative, entrepreneurial initiatives alongside an academic program that consistently ranks among the most successful in the nation. But unlike our highly regarded core curriculum, our most creative platforms—think WCAT, Robotics, StudioW, and others—have been built in borrowed space, attracting ample student participants against all odds. That is about to change.
I am thrilled to announce the construction of The Blake Center in the heart of our campus on the site of Scott Hall and directly across the Quad from Pressly Hall. Trustee Liz and Frank Blake were captivated by the vision for a center of innovation that would house some of our most dynamic, future-focused opportunities under one roof and provide both the well-designed space and collaborative possibilities that these programs deserve.
To say that we are grateful for the Blakes’ generosity would be an understatement. Like philanthropic heroes throughout Westminster’s history, Liz and Frank envisioned the creation of a legacy that would transform our student experience. Our gratitude for their commitment is matched only by our confidence that this investment will inspire a generation of inventors, entrepreneurs, problem-solvers—in a word, leaders—who will use The Blake Center as an incubator for their ambition to change the world for the better.
From Campbell Hall to Hawkins Hall to Barge Commons to soon-to-be-finished Love Hall—and more—we are experiencing the profound impact of new buildings and gathering spaces across Westminster’s entire campus. The Blake Center will amplify this impact even further when it is finished in 2026. It will be a powerful catalyst for encouraging the creativity and curiosity of generations of Wildcats.
Read on and enjoy a preview of this iconic new landmark at Westminster!
Onward,
Keith Evans
President
Project Overview
Approved in 2017, Westminster’s Campus Plan identified five key themes to inspire each building project the School undertook as part of the collective plan.
- Express our founding values in our community and campus
- Deepen the impact of Westminster’s unique student experience
- Build community and foster connection
- Put learning and leadership on display
- Serve Atlanta and develop leaders of conscience for our city, nation, and world
The Blake Center embodies each of these themes, promising to connect our campus and community and foster creativity. The new space will be located on the current Scott Hall site at the center of Westminster’s historic Quad and directly across from Pressly Hall. Paired with enhancements to the Quad to create inviting outdoor spaces, The Blake Center will promote collaboration between a variety of disciplines and provide students with ample opportunities to showcase and test their ideas and work. Hallmark programs like WCAT, robotics, and visual and digital arts will be housed in state-of-the-art spaces that fully meet their needs. The Roberto C. Goizueta Center for Innovation will continue to drive innovation across the Lower, Middle, and Upper Schools with a Goizueta Catalyst Hub on the Quad level and the Goizueta Catalyst Plaza pushing innovation outdoors and strengthening the connection with the Middle School's Goizueta Catalyst Hub.
“Innovation is both a way of thinking and a way of doing. We believe teaching students these underlying skills—building their creativity, resilience and courage—is integral to creating future innovative leaders. The Blake Center will provide our students the resources and spaces to explore new ideas and push the boundaries of what they thought possible. We are excited for the new building to foster a community of curious learners while molding a generation of Wildcats who are courageous problem-solvers, willing and able to go out into the world, tackle complex challenges, and become the leaders of tomorrow.”
Deepening Impact Through Innovation
The Blake Center will be located in the heart of campus on the current Scott Hall site. The new center will serve as a hub of innovation and inquiry with new spaces that will cultivate collaboration, problem-solving, critical thinking, creativity, and leadership.
The Roberto C. Goizueta Center for Innovation
The Roberto C. Goizueta Center for Innovation
At Westminster, the work of teaching students to innovate is designed as an interdisciplinary journey that begins with our youngest Wildcats in Love Hall and grows through the Middle and Upper Schools. At every stage, faculty create learning experiences to emphasize that innovation begins with connections among ideas and people. By the time they graduate, students are equipped as lifelong innovators with the mindset to love challenge and the skill set to lead change.
The Roberto C. Goizueta Center for Innovation is the catalyst that drives these immersive learning experiences, allowing Westminster faculty and students of all ages to imagine, design, and discover every day. Made possible through the transformative generosity of The Goizueta Foundation, the Roberto C. Goizueta Center for Innovation gives our students the unique capacity, through the development of critical problem-seeking and problem-solving skills, to approach the world through a lens that is curious, optimistic, and agile.
Located on the Quad level of The Blake Center, the Goizueta Catalyst Hub promotes innovation and entrepreneurship with spaces for students to create, collaborate, and share their ideas, inventions, and art.
The spirit of the space brings to life a perspective the late Mr. Roberto C. Goizueta shared in his 1994 Westminster Commencement address:
“Schools are invigorating because they are places to experiment, to grow, to try out new ways of thinking about life. Schools are a window to the future, and, in my mind, no experience is more invigorating than the impassioned pursuit of knowledge and ideas.”
The Goizueta Catalyst Plaza is an extension of the Goizueta Center for Innovation. Students will be able to open up the hub’s garage-style doors and bring their work outdoors.
Learning and Leadership on Display
Large, flexible-use classrooms will meet our evolving classroom needs and provide appropriate instructional space for programs like computer science, graphic art, engineering, and robotics. Transparency in these high-traffic areas will immediately engage students and cultivate curiosity throughout the community.
The entire third floor will be dedicated to the visual arts, providing much-needed space for students to create and curate their artistic works. Two art labs will foster creativity and creative expression, offering an abundance of natural light and easy access to the outdoors on the adjacent art terrace. Classrooms will feature ample space for students to use a variety of materials, tools, and techniques, and will open up to a nearby art gallery dedicated to student-led art shows.
Westminster’s Emmy Award-winning WCAT and StudioW will have a new home inside The Blake Center with a state-of-the-art broadcast and editing suite located on the second floor.
A Quad That Cultivates Community
While serving as the organizing principle for the core of campus life, deliberate enhancements to the Quad will increase interaction between faculty and students through improved walkways, outdoor gathering and learning spaces, and inviting landscaping. This will allow us to energize the center of campus, effectively using outdoor spaces for learning and socializing.
The Blake Center will sit directly across from Pressly Hall and create a stronger link to teaching and learning occurring in neighboring buildings Clarkson Hall (Middle School), Robinson Hall (Upper School science), and Broyles Arts Center.
"Philanthropy transforms institutions, people, and importantly, what is possible. Throughout Westminster’s history, heroic acts of philanthropy have helped us transcend limitations, providing students with diverse opportunities to explore, discover, and develop capacities that enable them to lead and serve with confidence and passion. The Blake Center represents another such moment in Westminster’s journey. Liz and Frank Blake’s visionary philanthropic investment will unleash a new world of possibility for Westminster students today and for years to come. Their belief in both the collective potential of our Wildcats and the power of innovation to push beyond boundaries to make the world better for all is inspiring, and we are blessed by their care and partnership."
Built with Shorthand