Brown University, Applied Math Building

Brown UniversityCampusClassroomEducationalFacadeHigher EducationLEEDPatternWork

This new building expands the home of Brown University’s Division of Applied Mathematics to a prominent corner site on historic Hope Street. The design’s massing, material, and detailing mediates between the institutional scale of the campus and the adjacent residential neighborhood.

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Applied Math building from across the new campus lawn
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large trees and students entering along the residential-facing façade of the Applied Math building
Weathered steel shingles and fluted cast stone panels define the building volume.

The three-story structure houses faculty, administrative, and student offices, meeting rooms, and flexible classrooms. The site strategy creates a campus lawn and a series of garden rooms between its site and 182 George Street, a historic, Richardson Romanesque home also occupied by the Division Applied Mathematics.

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Axonometric site diagram of Brown University, Applied Math Building
Axonometric site diagram
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  • student walks into Applied Math building through the campus-facing entry
  • students leave the Applied Math building through the garden rooms from the campus-facing facade
    Glazed openings are scaled to the campus and the street.
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students descend decorative stair in the lobby and leave through the translucent residential-facing exit
The lobby connects campus to neighborhood.

Collaborative eddy spaces form the core of the upper floors, which are ringed by private and shared offices. Activated by brightly colored chalkboard paint walls, these spaces encourage impromptu interaction and facilitate a range of meeting types.

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wide open common area where student writes on purple chalk wall while a small group of people watch from a table
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  • small group meets in ground-floor classroom with full views to the garden rooms
    Large meeting rooms along the west edge open out to garden rooms.
  • instructor and students work through math set on purple chalkboard wall
    Writable walls extend from the classroom throughout the building.
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students pass by decorative staircase while exiting the Applied Math building

This high-performance building envelope and efficient mechanical systems performs 25% better than energy code. Delivered as design/build, it was completed in 16 months from design kickoff to user occupancy.

The project is certified LEED Gold.

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Applied Math illuminated at dusk
Awards

2017 AIA Rhode Island, Merit Award