Indian Springs School commemorated the completion of the Kayser-Samford Community Commons project with a ribbon-cutting ceremony Dec. 9.
Representatives from Lake Flato Architects of San Antonio, Architecture Works, BL Harbert International and Indian Springs Village were part of the dedication, according to a statement from the school
The Kayser-Samford Community Commons will serve as the school’s new social hub and dining hall. It is on the site of the school’s original dining hall, overlooking the campus lake.
The facility provides indoor and outdoor seating for the school’s 325 day and boarding students, faculty, staff and guests to gather and eat. New serving stations will feature a variety of meal options prepared in a state-of-the-art kitchen. The facility also provides a private dining space for meetings and events and a lakeside venue for recreation.
“This is a momentous occasion and an exciting new chapter in the life of the school,” Scott Schamberger, head of Indian Springs School, said in the statement. “This facility will give the next generation of our students a place to build enduring relationships and develop lifelong friendships.”
Construction of the 12,000-square-foot building began in November 2021.
The project’s fundraising was led by Indian Springs School alumnus Leo Kayser III alongside Kayser’s late classmate and fellow board member Frank Samford III, for whom the building is named. Nearly 150 other donors have contributed to the school’s historic capital campaign so far.
“The beautiful new Kayser-Samford Community Commons is the result of the work and investment of many people from many places and different backgrounds who share the ideal that Indian Springs should be a community that gathers around tables to enjoy and learn from one another,” Elizabeth Goodrich, chair of the Indian Springs School board of governors said.