Boston University (BU) is a highly regarded urban institution with a dense campus in the heart of Boston. Nevertheless, it has always been in the shadow of the educational giants of Harvard University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology, located across the Charles River in Cambridge.
BU architectures have tended to be mediocre over the past two generations. This is largely due to the long tenure of John R. Silver, who from 1971 until 1996 he was president of the university.Silver dislikes cutting-edge contemporary design and in 2007 absurd architecturederided the university’s preoccupation with starchtech, and singled out MIT with particular contempt for commissioning Frank Gehry to design the Ray and Maria Stata Center, completed in 2004.
It was then. This is now Architecturally, BU is on the map and on the Boston skyline thanks to the just-completed Computing & Data Science Center. The $305 million building was the result of a competition held in 2012, where from a long list of about 50 companies he was narrowed down to five, each submitting a highly developed scheme. His KPMB in Toronto won, defeating other finalists Kohn Pedersen-Fox, Bolin Swinski-Jackson, Safdie Architects and Elks Manfredi Architects. The latter two of his companies are based in Boston.
Azer Bestavros, BU’s VP of Computing and Data Science, gets excited when he talks about the new building. He noted that as the university’s tallest structure, it stamped its name on the Boston skyline and was visible from MIT.
“We can see them, but more importantly they can see us,” he said.
So this is architecture as a means of changing the profile of the university in its host city and the perception of the university itself.in a brief interview with Ann, BU President Robert A. Brown said: We wanted to create a distinctive, skyline-looking building that when people see it, they know it’s Boston University. ”
The bold urban design of the building’s exterior is a wild mix of clear and reflective glass, rust-painted aluminum panels and exposed steel structures. When the design was unveiled in 2018, it implied that the assembly was a stack of open books, so it became known locally as the “Book Stacked Building.”
KPMB partner Paulo Rocha said: “But I like to think of it as a stack of neighborhoods. There are multiple departments, each with their own needs and identities. is a vertical canvas.”
The interior of the building is impressive. With no skyscrapers around, the upper floors offer some of Boston’s most dramatic views. Entering through his two main entrances off Commonwealth Avenue, it is clear that the central atrium was envisioned as an extension of the avenue. A large café is positioned so that it can be seen from the street like a storefront. At the heart of the atrium is a series of ramps and stairs designed to foster collaboration and student/faculty interaction.
“This building is for people,” said Vestabros. “It’s open to everyone on the BU campus.”
Rocha pointed out what he called the “ribbon of circulation”. It’s a large black steel ramp that transforms into a staircase as you ascend through the atrium. It’s not just for showing off. Black steel is structural. “Black and light hemlock slats visually accentuate the colorful furniture,” he said. (The interior design is also handled by KPMB.) Overall, the impression of height and the dramatic color scheme (the furniture to be installed in the future are bright primary colors) give vitality to the atrium. The building will officially open to students in January.
No corner office. Instead, these primary spaces are turned over to infinitely modifiable and occupant-controlled collaboration areas. “I’m the Vice Chancellor. I wish I had a nice corner office,” quipped Vestabros. “But we wanted to create about people, interactions and collaborations.”
KPMB’s Computing & Data Science Center is an example of sustainable design. Designed to LEED Platinum standards, it boasts 31 underground geothermal wells that provide 90% of the heat within the building. Each of the eight outdoor terraces has a green roof to minimize the heat island effect and bring a touch of nature into the dense urban setting. BU has installed solar arrays on nearby buildings, and the center’s annual power output is approximately 1.2 million kWh, accounting for more than 23% of the building’s power demand.
The bold cantilever and exposed steel structure is the result of a collaboration between KPMB and two structural engineering firms: Entuitive’s Toronto office and LeMessurier in Boston. The architect describes the collaboration as “the perfect marriage.” Rocha said Entuitive designed the steel and LeMessurier designed the concrete. The exposed steel frame inside is particularly visually appealing. Exposed bolts, rivets, and angled beams give occupants a sense of what holds the building together.
Rocha is rightfully pleased with the overall architectural/interior ensemble.
“This building was designed to be part of Boston’s urban fabric,” he concluded. “For example, the rust-painted aluminum panels are inspired by the city’s red-brick townhouses. Made everything about the realm.”
James McCown is a Boston-based architectural journalist with an upcoming Home office space: pavilions, shacks and extensions for optimized inspiration and productivityto be published by Rizzoli in 2023.
