2014年,佐佐木完成了达特茅斯学院住宅空间的研究。根据本研究的建议,大学在2016年正式迁入这个系统,这种变化将加强社区,促进学生在大学生职业生涯中的友谊连续性,并通过非正式的互动增加更深入的智力参与机会。六个房屋社区由现有的宿舍组成,其中许多建于1920至50年间。由于这个房屋没有建成以适应学生的生活需求,四个社区需要额外的共同空间来支持新的房屋计划。佐佐木设计了两个临时房屋中心来满足这一需求。
设计团队接受了“临时”建筑的概念,反思了传统的住宅生活建筑模式。展示团队的前瞻性思维,结构提供了几个好处。低成本和简单的设计使得能够快速建设支持新系统;灵活的编程能够发现哪些空间最有效地支持未来的宿舍建设;并且建筑物可以适应未来的使用。
这两栋建筑在2016年秋季学期完成,并与学生取得了成功。几位学生对这些建筑物如何提供以前缺乏的空间发表了评论。这些建筑物提供了一个比起图书馆更为休闲的“客厅”,比餐厅更贴心,比传统的宿舍更为社会化。
建筑风格各不相同,加强了实验意图。 House Center A是一种在夜间发出柔和光泽的拉伸膜结构,而House Center B是一个木结构建筑,配有水泥板包层和落地窗。两者都有开放的平面图和暴露的结构和机械系统。可移动家具鼓励学生“拥有”空间,测试配置,补充他们的需求。
In 2014, Sasaki completed a study of Dartmouth College’s residential life experience. Following recommendations from this study, the college officially moved to a house system in 2016. This change will strengthen community, promote continuity of friendship over students’ college careers, and increase opportunities for deeper intellectual engagement through informal interactions. The six house communities are formed from clusters of existing residence halls, many of which were built between 1920–50. As this housing stock had not been built to accommodate student life needs, four communities required additional common space to support the new house programming. Sasaki designed two temporary House Centers to meet this need.
The design team embraced the concept of “temporary” buildings to rethink traditional models of residential life construction. A demonstration of the team’s forward-looking thinking, the structures provide several benefits. Low cost and simple design enabled fast construction to support the new system; flexible programming enables the discovery of what spaces work best in support of future residence hall construction; and the buildings can be adapted to suit future uses.
These two buildings were completed in time for the Fall 2016 semester and have been an immediate success with students. Several students have commented on how these buildings provide a space that was previously lacking. These buildings offer a “living room” feel—more casual than the library, more intimate than the dining hall, and more social than the traditional residence halls.
The architectural styles vary, reinforcing the experimental intent. House Center A is a tensile membrane structure that emits a soft glow at night, while House Center B is a wood frame building with cement-board cladding and floor-to-ceiling windows. Both have open floorplans and exposed structural and mechanical systems. Movable furniture encourage students to “own” the space, testing configurations that complement their needs.