Computer Science Building

The Computer Science Building frames public spaces while expanding the Computer Science Department’s campus presence. The first student-funded building located at the campus, the building sits at a pedestrian crossroads, redefining the edge of the campus’s central student plaza. Home to the school’s Computer Science Department, the building houses computer labs, offices, as well as a dedicated Information Systems Technology Center, promoting cross-disciplinary work among faculty and students from different departments.

The Computer Science Building’s design is about place-making. The building provides existing campus circulation routes, plazas, and greenspace while creating new, vibrant edges and interior spaces. A glass façade shapes the eastern edge of a central student plaza, creating a transparent filter between indoor and outdoor public space. Rather than acting as a barrier, the internal building circulation reinforces a major route from the historic campus precinct to the plaza. The ground floor provides crossings through the building and connections to student community spaces, highlighting the exciting programs in the building.

The building’s exterior design reinterprets existing campus vocabulary while reducing energy consumption. Buff masonry is used in new ways to mark entries and provide a solid, textural counterpoint to the building’s glazing. Exterior sunshades filter daylight, reducing heating and cooling within the building. The building sets a new energy reduction standard for campus buildings while creating an active building that is integral to the campus fabric.