For the owner of Q-Drinks, a company specializing in making superior cocktail sodas out of only authentic ingredients, it was imperative that the design for a weekend retreat nestled in the mountains of New Hampshire, be equally authentic.
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.
The site for this art studio facility was an abandoned tennis court at the heart of the campus. The School had originally been a private country estate, with landscaping designed by the Olmsted Brothers and most of the original features remain. The original owners gifted the property to the School in the late 1930’s but the majority of the original architecture was lost in a tragic fire in the early 1960’s. A new complex was built along with several dorms and all were designed by the same architect, John Carter. The campus therefore has a very cohesive “mid-century modern” aesthetic.
Tags: Bethlehem, New Hampshire Comments Off on The White Mountain School Catherine Houghton Arts Center in Bethlehem, New Hampshire by Randall Walter of BWC
The program of this project is set on a lake front site with requirements for a light, transparent building in an inhospitable winter climate. Opening the house to the lake was of prime consideration to the client, as this was seen as the “front of house.” The entry sequence was understood as “back of house”. Inside becomes a surrogate outside. inherent in a lake front site is a notion that public and private do not follow traditional rules.