Tabor Academy is praying for a warm winter as it prepares to break ground on its first new dormitory since 2000. Located on the former estate of Anne Tenbrook, the property sits between Front Street and Spring Street, across from the fire station.

The school is working with Marion architect Will Saltonstall on the new building, which is designed to facilitate community among students and to be sustainable.

“The inspiration for the dorm interior was a lively urban streetscape, breaking the tradition of long straight corridors with rooms stacked on either side,” Saltonstall said. “We designed the dorm much like a large home, with different nooks for small gatherings of students, a kitchen island for working collaboratively on homework or making a snack, as well as plenty of bright, open areas for the dorm community to be together.”

At almost 15,000 square feet, the new dorm will accommodate 25 existing students who will be moved from the smallest dorms on campus.

At a Selectmen’s meeting in July, Head of School John Quirk said the new dorm will not coincide with a larger student population.

“We have no plans to get any bigger,” said Quirk. “We do have plans to organize ourselves better.”

Three faculty families will also live in the dorm, with the goal of increasing “student engagement within the diverse learning/living community.”

The project will feature locally sourced materials and systems, super efficient insulation and windows, high efficiency boilers, water saving strategies, photovoltaic panels and LED lighting.

In July, Selectmen approved a sewer extension for the building, which was in keeping with the town’s sewer plan that allows a five percent increase for the school. Tabor has actually reduced its water usage significantly in recent years, according to the school’s Director of Plant Operations Don Wing.

“The school has documented an over twenty-three percent reduction in water usage from the baseline used in the 2001 plan,” said Wing. “While three new faculty families will occupy the dorm, the twenty-five student residents are being relocated from other dormitories resulting in a negligible increase in flow from this project.”

Also in the summer, the Marion Planning Board determined that the project did not need a site plan review.

Dean of Faculty Julie Salit, a member of the project planning committee, said, “The planning team has worked closely together and with the town, meeting with numerous town boards and student and faculty groups to ensure a collaborative process resulting in an exciting project. As we finish up the plans, we are hoping for a mild winter to facilitate a September opening.”