Wheeler School "The Nest"

Primarily located in downtown Providence, The Wheeler School has always had a second, rural campus about 15 minutes away in Seekonk, MA. Known as "The Farm," the campus had been predominantly used for athletic facilities because of the density of downtown Providence. On the heels of the pandemic, the school recognized the importance of wellness and social space that supports academic learning, and reconsidered The Farm for additional programming. Following a master plan of both campuses, designLAB architects was engaged to execute a series of structures aimed at re-imagining the farm as a hub for nature-based programming. The landscape architecture team was retained to assist in completing the vision established by the campus master plan.

The first phase of construction was "The Nest". The Nest at Wheeler provides an early childhood education that meets the developmental needs of each child through joyful, hands-on, experiential learning in the natural world. The building and site design reinforce the nature-based curriculum and inspires a love of learning and connection to the natural world. The project was completed in 2025.