An Exercise in Design...
Like any project of this scope, Blackstone Hall went through many
iterations on the way to its final design. Early schemes ranged from a
single rectangular hall to three distinct building sections connected by
bridging. Things like windows and exterior veneers have changed throughout the process
and some features like interior finishes and furniture style are still being
finalized. The following summarizes the journey from concept to creation
of this new facility.
Purpose and need:
The need for student housing has increased as Clark University has grown and
expanded its residential program. Rising housing costs have made on-campus
accommodations more attractive to students who may have at one time preferred to
live in an off campus apartment. In addition, junior and senior level
students have asked for accommodations appropriate for their independent
lifestyles. When asked what they would like from a new residence hall,
students asked for apartment style units; modern amenities; a mixture of private
singles and affordable doubles; air conditioning; energy efficient design; and
pleasing aesthetics. Students asked, and Clark delivered.
Location:
When deciding upon a location for the new residence hall, Clark wanted this new
facility to fit into the existing campus structure and layout. In choosing
the site along Beaver Street, Clark University is also connecting
fragmented parts of campus together. The Dolan field house, sometimes misperceived as
far from campus, is within sight line of Blackstone Hall.
The facility also anchors the block between Maywood Street and Beaver Street and balances
the new Lasry Science Center with similar finishes and exterior materials. The
site was also designed with the future in mind, with provisions made for other
construction to occur on that block in years to come (see below).
Early Designs:
The following are some early site plans which demonstrate the various design
schemes that lead up to our current plans.
This early design from May of 2005 featured three distinct building sections
with the first and second being separated by a glass walkway on the 2nd to 4th
floors. Distinct to this design is the large common area along the east
wall.
This design, also from May of 2005, was set askew from Beaver Street, creating
wide open spaces between the building and the road. It was determined that
the long corridors of this design were too traditional and institutional for a
building designed for upper class students.
This design from June, 2005 introduced a second glass bridge between the second
and third sections of the building, and created a lobby area in the center of
the structure.
This design from September of 2005 approaches the final design with only minor
changes occurring after this rendering.
All In The Details:
After a design is picked, there are still details to be fine tuned.
Some of the design decisions that had to be made were exterior colors... both
brick and trim colors, as well as window size and detail, etc. The
following are a few examples of the way a color can change a whole building.
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This is a rendering of the view from behind 23 Maywood Street of
Blackstone Hall
in a traditional red brick veneer
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This is the same rendering shown in the lighter brick tones chosen for this
project.
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This is an earlier version of the glass foyer and bridge connecting Building X
to Builidng Y. It is shown here
in the traditional red brick veneer
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This is the same area redesigned with colored trim and different window sizes.
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This is the view up Beaver Street of Blackstone Hall shown in red brick.
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This is the same view shown in the lighter brick tones as per the final design.
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