It’s All Adding Up
The Farokhzad Mathematics Center ushers in a new era for inquiry and analysis.
Story by Marisa Donelan
Photographs by Bob O’Connor
Early in the morning before Convocation in September, a trio of girls made their way into the Farokhzad Mathematics Center (FMC) to explore the new space. As sunshine poured in through the two-story windows, they marveled at the study areas, assembly space, and welcoming design.
“I’m going to live here,” one of the students announced. “I am going to do all my work here. I want this to be my home.
It was clear as the first few weeks of classes unfolded that the new building was already a lively hub of learning and discovery, as well as a new favorite spot on campus for group work, socializing, and studying.
The ambitious project became possible through a generous gift from Milton parents Shadi and Omid Farokhzad P ’23, ’25. Milton has had a profound impact on their children’s lives since they enrolled in the Lower School. Both Shadi, an endodontist and educator, and Omid, a physician-scientist and biotech entrepreneur, have a deep commitment to STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) education. When they learned about the long-standing plan to expand the school’s math space, it seemed like a perfect fit for their support.
“Our children had an incredible experience at Milton,” says Shadi, who also serves on the school’s Board of Trustees. “Witnessing their growth from small children to articulate, thoughtful young adults has been truly inspiring, and we credit much of that to the school. When we considered how to express our gratitude, we were aligned and thought, ‘Well, let’s do something transformative.’”
“We were thrilled to support this wonderful project, which reflects our gratitude for all the ways that Milton Academy has benefited our family,” says Omid. “The school had a profound and positive effect on our children, so it felt appropriate to show our appreciation in a way that propels Milton forward. We got a chance to tour the building once classes started and to witness the space in action—to see students excited to work and learn together—is rewarding and inspiring.”
Milton has long been renowned for its world-class English and humanities instruction; recent investments into stem spaces and programming—such as the state-of-the-art Pritzker Science Center and upgraded robotics labs in K–12 buildings—support the school’s commitment to the importance of STEM learning, says Head of School Alixe Callen ’88.
“I’m excited for math to become more visible at Milton,” she says. “Moving it from being tucked away in corner spaces to a building literally in the middle of campus allows us to see math in action in ways that are new to Milton. And these collaborative spaces that didn’t exist before now are really exciting.” The layout and design of classroom spaces and academic buildings have a significant effect on students’ learning: Lecture halls and auditoriums create a sense of passive learning, while classrooms with ample space for movement and different groupings of students and teachers promote active learning, where students feel engaged and empowered.
A 2017 study in the Journal of Learning Spaces concluded that flexible, open classroom design “affords students and instructors to move around the classroom enabling social interaction and collaboration. Students felt that [open design] ‘erased the line’ between instructors and students, which encouraged interaction and led students to feel closer person- al connections with their instructor and their peers, creating a sense of community and enhancing student engagement.” The same study showed that providing a variety of writing surfaces and availability of screens and presentation technology better allows teachers to provide feedback in real time as students work on problems and talk through their challenges.
The building demonstrates Milton’s commitment to evidence-based research on how students learn best, Shadi says. “We’re leaning more into open spaces and collaborative, peer-to-peer relationships. This new math space with so much light and visibility really fosters that type of learning. This building is coming at a perfect time to support that collaborative, community-focused learning.”
Pedagogical research shows that conceptual mastery—fully grasping how and why numbers and formulas work—is far more important to math fluency than memorization and speed. Working through problems slowly, collaborating, asking questions, and exploring different approaches are far more effective methods, and the FMC’s layout and design support that kind of deep learning. As students develop their understanding of different mathematical concepts, their confidence and ability to communicate their learning grows. These analytical and critical-thinking skills will serve them long after graduation.
Every design choice in the FMC—from the colors and textures of building materials to the use of light, technology, and artistic elements—was made based on research into how students best learn math. Natural light beaming through the walls of windows helps students stay energized and focused. Multiple writing surfaces—including desk tops that double as dry-erase boards—provide lots of space for working through complex problems together and individually. And the breakout rooms throughout the building are cozy and quiet, giving students spaces and opportunities for deep focus when they need it.
Before this year, Upper School math classes were primarily held in classrooms at the top of Ware Hall, where space for the 19-person department was tight; the FMC nearly doubles the school’s number of math classrooms, accommodates seventh- and eighth-grade math classes, hosts assemblies of up to 200 attendees, and provides faculty meeting areas to foster collaboration.
Adaptive reuse—the renovation and repurposing of existing buildings on campus—has been at the heart of Milton’s recent capital improvements. The practice has allowed the school to take on cost-effective, sustainability-focused projects to meet current and future needs while reducing waste and prolonging the useful life of older structures. Rather than constructing new and demolishing old buildings, adaptive reuse lowers carbon emissions, improves energy efficiency, and preserves the architectural identity of the campus. Refreshing existing buildings has a significant financial advantage, allowing the school to avoid costs associated with site preparation, structural engineering, and building materials; it also shortens project timelines.
The FMC project injected new life into the building that formerly housed the William Coburn Cox Library, which last year reopened in Wigglesworth Hall. The new math center retains its brutalist exterior style with one significant change: A second entrance from the lawn in front of the Kellner Performing Arts Center. This creates a clearer and more accessible path connecting Ware Hall all the way to Pritzker. Now, there is a straight line connecting the physical spaces for math, visual arts, robotics, computer science, performing arts, music, and lab sciences.
The finished project is the result of years of thoughtful planning by Milton’s operations team—facilities, campus safety, special projects, and technology services staff—who worked with engineers, designers, architects, and builders to identify the best approaches for the space. In collaboration with the Math Department, the group, which included representatives from Architectural Resources Cambridge (ARC) as well as the construction company Skanska, tested layout concepts and furniture in the previous math classrooms in Ware Hall. The interior is designed to connect occupants with nature through the selection of colors and materials, which support a visual balance between calm and dynamic activities. All-new, state-of-the-art electrical, fire, HVAC, and technology systems were added. Efficient and smart lighting systems reduce visual strain; acoustical materials keep excess noise down; and wide corridors and stairways provide for seamless movement throughout.
From addition and subtraction in the Lower School through the highest levels of advanced math in the Upper School, Milton teachers focus on conceptual understanding, Callen says. “It’s not just about memorizing formulas and applying them,” she explains. “We want kids to understand what is at the root of these concepts; not just the functions but why they work. Why is something true? How does it apply to other things?”
Math, like language, appears everywhere: Students who go into the arts and humanities need to develop an understanding of patterns, statistics, and data science. A strong math foundation is essential for everything from correctly interpreting data—and being a knowledgeable consumer of information—to managing personal finance.
Struggle is a necessary part of building that foundation. Wrestling with a concept, getting it wrong, correcting mistakes, and working with feedback are all important components to learning math, Callen says. The new math center provides ample space for students to meet with teachers individually and in small groups, and the ample gathering space inside and outside of the FMC—including a shaded patio where students can work in nature—helps to keep students close by when they’re working on projects and homework.
“Our students like to work hard, and they like to be challenged,” she says. “We want them to be able to sit with the struggle. In order to do that, we have to be formative with our feedback: It’s not just a student taking a test and receiving a score. How are they going to grow from it? How are they going to learn and deeply understand those concepts so they can apply them in future contexts? We have to help students work through that.”