Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT):
School of Architecture

the project:

60,000 sf
Architecture Studios, Faculty Offices, Classrooms, Meeting Spaces

The transition from traditional drafting to CADD required MIT to completely reinvent their teaching environments and faculty offices. Assisting architects Leers, Weinzapfel and Associates, the firm developed a new prototype centered on fully and flexibly wired studios that could handle student abuse, reconfigure easily, allow student personalization, and support both traditional and computerized learning modalities.

Working directly with suppliers and installers, the firm explored a number of design options before proposing to customize Herman Miller Ethospace workstations to meet the College’s needs. By stripping the system of all cosmetic elements, outfitting it with solid wood counters and basic tackable surfaces, and field testing the result to prove that two grown men could safely jump on the counters, the firm convinced MIT to proceed with the first installation. Success of the prototype subsequently led to full adoption by the School of Architecture.

Interior Design: Polly Dithmer and Roel Krabbendam
Architecture: Leers, Weinzapfel and Associates, Inc.