Rooted in the belief that learning transcends physical boundaries and time, the Faculty of Arts & Sciences competition* entry is designed with the conviction that the essence of education—and thus the architecture of an educational building—lies in its ability to facilitate the exchange of ideas. Every element of the new FAS building is therefore tailored to foster potential moments of social interaction and exchange, enhancing the holistic educational experience.
Promoting a flexible and evolutionary design, the FAS building intentionally challenges several basic assumptions about the nature of space and its use. Beginning with the conventional relationship between building and ground, the design strategy blurs the lines between the primary elements of the university’s physical space—the campus, the building, and the classroom—to create a spatial hybrid of the three. As a result, moving through the building allows one to simultaneously be on, under, next to, and inside the building. This freeform design of space and mass encourages more incidental and intuitive groupings of people.
Situated within a relatively tight urban setting and surrounded by abundant greenery, the massing strategy maximizes the building’s footprint, creating a dynamic diagonal flow between pedestrian circulation from the street into the campus’ communal green area. The ground folds down, beckoning passersby to go through the FAS building or catch a glimpse of the activities taking place.
A monolithic stone façade with vertical slits acts as an envelope, sheltering the inner volumes and transitional spaces. Inside, a central atrium spiral with broad amphitheatre stairs unfolds as a shared volume between faculty and students, further setting the stage for chance social encounters.
First place winner of the University FAS Design competition
team:
collaboration with Snøhetta
