Program
Design and development of new 35,000-sf Academic Center including library/learning Commons, Classroom and lab facilities, faculty and meeting rooms, peer mentoring and tutoring spaces and support facilities including a café, board room and archive/storage spaces.
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Solution
The Alfond Academic Center & Library is an expression of the new exciting attitudes towards student life on campus. With the population growing and the campus in the midst of change, student expectations were high. It was a great opportunity to collaborate with the Thomas College Community in changing the image of Thomas for decades to come. Great care and attention was placed on creating a more sophisticated design aesthetic, one that was sympathetic to the student campus environment, as well as surrounding natural environment. Beyond the need to keep the harsh winter climate at bay, the exterior skin of a building became a branding tool. The building finishes themselves became an opportunity to communicate and define not only the architectural character of an individual structure, but the values of an entire institution. This new language of forms and finishes – redbrick, aluminum panels and glass, create the schools new language. A tradition of simple sophistication and innovative composition that help articulate Thomas Colleges core values.
The building creates a distinct gateway into the most important community spaces on the Thomas campus. The Center includes scaled work-spaces for interactive learning and hands-on experience with environments for multiple business applications such as a trading floor and business labs. These distinctive centers and labs emulate the real-world business conditions and practical learning that Thomas College values. The campus experience creates a thriving and supportive community environment with competitive edge.
