Trent Bell, Jen Holt Photography, Jameson R. Lowrey, John P. Gordon

OBJETIVO

The design for the new Center for Human Ecology embodies the mission and pedagogy of the school, serving as a spatial counterpoint to the extensive outdoor field research and place-based learning at the core of College of the Atlantic’s philosophy. Providing a wide range of indoor teaching and research spaces to support the curriculum, the design reflects the college’s unique character and culture: simple, intimate, pragmatic, and always foregrounding the natural world. Every space reinforces a hyperconsciousness of “being here” with a view of the rugged coastline or campus landscape, from every space. The design was inspired by the college’s ambitious and comprehensive sustainability goals regarding site, energy use, materials, water conservation, waste, adaptability, durability, comfort, health, wellbeing, and budget. The design, from the overall massing to the detailed development, materials, and textures, evolved as a synthesis of the aspirations of a campus culture deeply committed to the preservation of the natural world.

CONTEXTO

Sitting atop a rocky promontory on the rugged coastline of Mount Desert Island, between sweeping views of Frenchman Bay and Acadia National Park in northern Maine, the design for the Center for Human Ecology was inspired by College of the Atlantic’s pedagogy of deep, hands-on engagement with the natural world. The building expands the campus northward, forming a new academic core and heart of campus. At its inception in 1969, the college was the first in the US whose mission centered on the wholistic study of humans’ relationship with the environment. The design of the new center reinforces this engagement and a heightened awareness of the unique ecology of the site and surrounding context. The overall configuration of the building frames a new campus landscape with protection from harsh ocean winds while optimizing solar gains from the south and west that mitigate heating demands during Maine’s long, cold winters. A series of spatial cuts through the building provide views of the Atlantic Ocean -- the college’s backdrop and namesake and visually connect the interior spaces with the powerful landscape and coastline. The design incorporates a palette of locally sourced materials, including a nearly all-wood structure and exterior envelope that recalls the culture and traditions of the working waterfront. The building weaves together the interdisciplinary study of human ecology with environmental sustainability, forming a dynamic new academic center that amplifies and reinforces an immersive learning experience at the intersection of land and sea.