Oberlin College - Oberlin, OH
Science Center

Oberlin’s existing 1960s science facility created a 330-foot-long barrier, cutting off the science departments from the rest of the campus. The new building repairs the science department fragmentation, supports a more holistic approach linking diverse science disciplines, and creates a stronger image for the sciences on campus. Located at the heart of Oberlin’s residential and academic quadrangle (with classical Cass Gilbert College buildings nearby), the new facility reinforces dominant campus use patterns by extending existing pathways through and around the campus with little interruption. Internally, disciplines are arranged from left to right in a "wave" of interdisciplinary adjacencies that share related utility infrastructures. These blurred boundaries allow for the growth of one department into another, and flexibility for spontaneous collaboration across specialties.