A New Era for Cambridge Education: The Opening of the Tobin Montessori Darby Vassall Upper Schools and Community Complex

On a bright September morning, the doors of Cambridge’s newest Tobin Montessori and Darby Vassall Upper Schools and Community Complex opened to students, families, and faculty — but this was more than the opening of a brand-new facility. It was the culmination of nearly a decade of planning, collaboration, and investment. It was the moment a school community stepped across front doors intentionally built just for them.

For years, Darby Vassall Upper School staff, teachers and middle schoolers made do in spaces never meant for them. Meanwhile, students at the Tobin Montessori went years without a cafeteria or large playground. Students and teachers squeezed into retrofitted classrooms, science labs were improvised, gyms were shared, and offices tucked into borrowed corners.

“In the history of our school, we never had our own front door,” said Darby Vassall Upper School Principal Daniel Coplon-Newfield. “We always felt like tenants — our signs temporary, our presence provisional, as we shared spaces with our dear friends at the Tobin Montessori School and others.”

Today, the metaphor of feeling like tenants is gone. The new state-of-the-art 359,100-square-foot — a civic landmark housing the Tobin Montessori School (316 students, grades pre-K through 5), Darby Vassall Upper School (DVUS) (300 students, grades 6 through 8), CPS Special Start and DHSP Preschool Programs (80+ preschoolers), DHSP Community School Afterschool Program (100 students), athletic facilities, performing arts spaces, playgrounds, and community amenities — signals something larger: a bold commitment by the City of Cambridge and Cambridge Public School District to invest in its future, not just for today’s students, but for generations to come.

“What this represents is a commitment,” continued Principal Coplon-Newfield. “There's not just the civic commitment, but an educational commitment. It is an investment that I don't think other municipalities make. This is the fulfillment of an investment in our education and our community that we should be really proud of and not take for granted.”

A Civic Cornerstone​

Replacing the Brutalist-era building that once stood on the site located at Vassal Lane, Concord Avenue, and Alpine Street in West Cambridge, the new facility serves nearly 1,000 children from across Cambridge.

The City was intentional in designing a place that would serve not only students, but the entire community. It is also a neighborhood anchor, with a 400-seat auditorium, two full-size gymnasiums, athletic fields, playgrounds, and over six acres of public green space. Walking and biking paths tie the campus into the city’s wider network, creating a civic landmark that belongs to everyone.

“This is more than a school building,” said Brendon Roy, Director of Capital Building Projects and Project Manager for the new complex. “It’s a community hub. A place where learning, recreation, arts, and civic life all come together.”

Four distinct playgrounds — including one adaptive space for students with autism — invite all ages and abilities. Diamond-shaped fields, an open multi-use field, and a splash pad anchor the outdoor campus. Indoors, two gyms and a state-of-the-art auditorium ensure students and community members alike can gather, perform, and play.

Public art and civic-facing design choices ensure the building doesn’t stand apart from the neighborhood it belongs to it. Landscaping, new pathways, and green infrastructure tie the school seamlessly into West Cambridge.

Designed With Intention

Every detail of the building reflects years of careful planning to serve the unique developmental needs of students. The design fosters age-appropriate learning, with spaces that balance independence and support. Middle schoolers benefit from flexible classrooms that encourage co-teaching and wider hallways that reduce congestion, while elementary students learn in environments that celebrate Montessori principles.

“Having been involved in every step of the design process, we were able to reflect not only the needs of our faculty and students, but the elements that would help transform how children learn and how we can best support them,” said Tobin Montessori Principal Jaime Frost.

Across the building, the central “Heart of the School” acts as a crossroads, promoting connection and collaboration.

Wayfinding is inspired by Cambridge’s own natural history. Each section of the building takes cues from the four elements — Earth, Air, Fire, and Water — and from the site’s ecoregions, grounding children in a sense of place. Biophilic design gestures, abundant daylight, and maximized views of the outdoors encourage wellness and invite students to see their building as a living teaching tool.

The exterior’s palette of brick and metal pays homage to the site’s history as a clay pit, while the overall vision of “a school within a park” integrates civic presence with natural surroundings.

An Investment in the Future

At its core, this project embodies Cambridge’s ambitious commitment to sustainability. Designed for Net Zero Emissions under the City’s Net Zero Action Plan, it is projected to become the most energy-efficient school building in Cambridge.

Ground-source and air-source heat pumps provide heating and cooling, while a solar canopy will generate approximately 1.1 million kWh annually — enough to offset the building’s electricity use.

Underground parking infrastructure is able to support 100% electric vehicle charging, while the site is car-free at the surface, giving space back to trees, fields, and walking paths. By 2035, the campus will triple its tree canopy, exceeding City ordinances and reinforcing the vision of a school that breathes with nature.

The site also stands as a model of climate resilience. Elevated grading places the ground floor above 2070 flood projections, while the 1.25-million-gallon underground tank, rain gardens, and bioswales capture and reuse stormwater, including for irrigation of athletic fields.

Material health was also a driving priority: every material selected meets the rigorous standards of the Living Building Challenge, free of “red list” chemicals. Indoor air quality is actively monitored, with operable windows linked to the mechanical system to preserve energy and wellness.

These investments are projected to earn the facility LEED Platinum certification, setting a new bar for sustainable civic architecture.

“There are plenty of municipalities that build new schools,” said Roy. “But few make this kind of investment — with breathing room for future enrollment, with sustainability and resilience at the forefront, with a commitment to design that reflects pride in education and community.”

A New Identity and a Place of Belonging

The school community also embraced this moment to redefine itself. Students at the then Vassall Upper School led a process to select a new name, ensuring that when the doors opened, it wasn’t just a new building but the start of a new chapter. A front door, a new name, a purpose-built home — together, they form a symbolic foundation of belonging and pride.

For the students, teachers, and families who will use this space every day, the building’s symbolic impact is just as important as its technical performance.

“This building gives us identity,” said Principle Coplon-Newfield. “It gives us a name, a front door, and a place where our community belongs. For years we felt temporary — now we feel permanent. That changes everything.”

Through it all, the building reminds Cambridge of what is possible when a city chooses to invest boldly.

Gratitude and Vision

For those who have lived through years of transition — packing and unpacking classrooms, learning in borrowed corners, improvising at every turn — the opening carried deep emotional weight. It is not just the start of a school year, but the beginning of a new chapter in Cambridge’s story.

“This project,” said Cambridge City Manager Yi-An Huang, “is a statement of so many of our values. It says we believe in education, in sustainability, in resilience, and in community. It says we believe in the future of Cambridge.”

And on this fall morning, as students streamed through the doors, wide-eyed at the light-filled classrooms, soaring gyms, and expansive playgrounds, that future felt very close at hand.