CultureNOW - Lee Hall Expansion: Thomas Phifer and Partners

Lee Hall Expansion

Architect
Thomas Phifer and Partners

Dates

Constructed, 2012

Awards

AIA New York Chapter Merit Award 2013

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Description

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Located in the rolling foothills of the majestic Blue Ridge mountains in upstate South Carolina, the addition to the Lee Hall College of Architecture, Arts and Humanities at Clemson University is carefully sited adjacent to a green belt of open spaces that runs through the center of campus. The eastern edge of the new addition closely follows the natural formation of a densely wooded ridge. The elevated position of the site affords dramatic views to the surrounding landscape.

An ultra-energy efficient building, the 55,000 sf addition was conceived to accommodate the expanding needs of the college which includes twelve professional degree programs in the four departments of Art, Architecture, Construction Science + Management, and Planning + Landscape Architecture. We discovered early in the design process that all of these programs form a close knit community with a rich culture of collaboration.
To cultivate this sense of community within the new addition, design studios, faculty offices, and classrooms within the different degree programs are intermingled in an open plan to generate an environment for “cross pollination” between programs and disciplines through adjacency, allowing students to learn from other students and faculty though informal creative exchanges. Proximity and transparency are supported with carefully detailed glazing between interior program elements which produces dynamic visual connections thought the facility.

Transparency is also employed on the exterior facades to blur the line between the natural world and the interior environment. This connection to the exterior is enhanced through operable and motorized windows which are opened when exterior conditions permit allowing the mechanical systems to be shut off completely. The exterior space to the north of the Lee Hall addition is carefully proportioned and intentionally flexible to foster full scale fabrications which further encourage informal learning through curiosity and observation. On the southern side of the Lee Hall addition, a garden with a closely spaced bosque of trees provides an area for contemplative study and smaller gatherings.

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Location

Clemson University
101 Strode Tower
Clemson , SC
United States

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