ArchShowcase 
Sumit Singhal
Sumit Singhal loves modern architecture. He comes from a family of builders who have built more than 20 projects in the last ten years near Delhi in India. He has recently started writing about the architectural projects that catch his imagination. Dartmouth College House Center Pilots in Hanover, New Hampshire by SasakiOctober 6th, 2017 by Sumit Singhal
Article source: Sasaki In 2014, Sasaki completed a study of Dartmouth College’s residential life experience. Following recommendations from this study, the college officially moved to a house system in 2016. This change will strengthen community, promote continuity of friendship over students’ college careers, and increase opportunities for deeper intellectual engagement through informal interactions. The six house communities are formed from clusters of existing residence halls, many of which were built between 1920–50. As this housing stock had not been built to accommodate student life needs, four communities required additional common space to support the new house programming. Sasaki designed two temporary House Centers to meet this need.  Image Courtesy © Jane Messinger
 Image Courtesy © Jane Messinger The design team embraced the concept of “temporary” buildings to rethink traditional models of residential life construction. A demonstration of the team’s forward-looking thinking, the structures provide several benefits. Low cost and simple design enabled fast construction to support the new system; flexible programming enables the discovery of what spaces work best in support of future residence hall construction; and the buildings can be adapted to suit future uses.  Image Courtesy © Jane Messinger  Image Courtesy © Jane Messinger These two buildings were completed in time for the Fall 2016 semester and have been an immediate success with students. Several students have commented on how these buildings provide a space that was previously lacking. These buildings offer a “living room” feel—more casual than the library, more intimate than the dining hall, and more social than the traditional residence halls.  Image Courtesy © Jane Messinger  Image Courtesy © Jane Messinger The architectural styles vary, reinforcing the experimental intent. House Center A is a tensile membrane structure that emits a soft glow at night, while House Center B is a wood frame building with cement-board cladding and floor-to-ceiling windows. Both have open floorplans and exposed structural and mechanical systems. Movable furniture encourage students to “own” the space, testing configurations that complement their needs.  Image Courtesy © Jane Messinger  Image Courtesy © Jane Messinger  Image Courtesy © Jane Messinger  Image Courtesy © Jane Messinger  Image Courtesy © Jane Messinger  Image Courtesy © Jane Messinger  Image Courtesy © Jane Messinger
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Tags: Hanover, New Hampshire |
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