To create a building that represents, promotes, and encourages the associated balances of outward detached observation and inward reflection that should be a part of an architectural education. The form should represent the purpose set forth by the institution of a concurrent education which is supported by two seperate but equal parts, in the workplace, and in the classroom, where the two meet true learning may take place. The building should also serve as a comfortable, safe, and private home to students visiting from all corners of the country and possibly the world.
Outward Detached Observation
An architect must apply the intended experience of a user to a building in a scientific and objective way. It is important in an architectural education that a student learn to objectively observe the way the people interact with the built environment. This part of the concept is represented, an achieved by the large southern exposure with an immense amount of glass. The space is designed to be narrow in an attempt to allow a very large field of view from any location within the studio space. The view from the first floor of the studio space over the residential portion of the site allows view of a great variety of the city of Boston. From the large buildings of downtown to the grasses of the fens, the experience (while somewhat metaphorical) is definitely one of observation.
Inward Reflection
An architect must search within themselves for truly innovative answers to many questions. This requires the opportunity to inhabit spaces that might stretch ones personal boundaries. There are several places on this site that are attempting to provide this space. The green courtyard under the weight of the studio building provides a thought provoking generally protected experience, the space between the hard back edge of the studio building and the freeway is designed to provoke an uncomfortable feeling.
The form should represent the purpose set forth by the institution
The studio building, to a certain extent resembles the form of a bridge. While this particular bridge doesn’t span anything as most bridges do, this ‘metaphorical’ bridge with two legs and a large span across space presents an interesting form to represent the meeting of the classroom and the workplace, the studio space exists over the span of the ‘bridge’ to represent the opportunity that learning cannot take place without both equal legs to ‘hold up’ the process.
The building should also serve as a comfortable, safe, and private home
It is important that a person has time and a place to decompress, which is why the residential component is housed in a ‘nearly’ separate building. Additionally, much of that decompression could happen in the travel, or transitions from one space to another. The typical residential unit houses three students. The units are modeled from the surrounding neighborhood and the precedent set by the historic back bay townhouse vernacular. Each unit has a front door on the street to allow the students to experience the transition of using the street to get from school to home. Each unit also has a rear door on the second floor that directly connects to the studio building without leaving the confines of the building. While this doesn’t create the ideal transition, it takes into consideration security and convenience. Additionally, the layout of the units is part of the ‘green’ consideration in the project. A distance learning program would use the building for a very short percentage of each year, so the units have been designed to be comfortable and usable for other types of residential uses, possible short term or executive rentals, living space for visiting professors/professionals for any of the surrounding schools.
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