This energy-efficient, 55,000-square-foot addition to Clemson University’s College of Architecture, Arts, and Humanities engenders a sense of connectivity with the natural world. The eastern edge of the building mirrors the natural wooded ridge created by the rolling foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Operable motorized windows open fully when outside temperatures allow the mechanical systems to be turned off. Inside, glazing between spaces creates a transparent environment meant to foster cross-pollination between academic disciplines, faculty, and students.
Jury: “It is an exceptional work that surrounds students with a seamless integration of programmatic goals, energy efficiency, and creative tectonics.”
Client: “I most appreciate how this building is supporting the creation of a more collaborative, public, and innovative design education culture. It’s getting more difficult to tell the architecture students from the art students from the landscape architecture students, and that is a great thing.” —Kate Schwennsen, FAIA, professor and chair, Clemson’s School of Architecture
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