ASU Polytechnic Campus

Project Details

Project Description

Lake|Flato Architects — Three new academic buildings on the Arizona State University Polytechnic campus are configured around landscaped courtyards, and a series of covered walkways, building portals, and arcades strengthen the campus-wide pedestrian circulation network. Each building—constructed primarily of locally manufactured masonry, weathered corrugated-steel siding, and glass—embraces an open-air atrium, shaded by a perforated metal screen, that plays an important role in a hierarchy of interior/exterior spaces. These spaces blur the line between inside and out through their scale, sense of enclosure, and naturally tempered air. "It's a very simple set of objects clad in different public spaces that are both places to circulate and places to hang out," said Aaron Betsky, who thought it appropriate for the desert environment. Ellen Dunham-Jones added: "The degree of difficulty is high. Going from [the existing conditions] to a place that seems really inviting is quite a remarkable achievement."