Like the other buildings that make up the heart of the Bowdoin College campus surrounding the central quad, the Visual Arts Center reflects Bowdoin’s history. The arts center was built in the 1970s to meet the growing demand for visual art and art history courses as more women enrolled in the college. Since, the art department has outgrown the building and evolved it's perception of the arts.

Frustrated with the fragmented department scattered across campus and town, I saw an exciting opportunity to imagine a building on the historic quad that celebrates Bowdoin today. Together with the guidance of my architecture professor, I created a semester long independent study to design a home for the art community that fosters exploration and collaboration for all students. 

Over the course of the semester, I established design goals and project requirements through site analysis, current building observations and interviews and pitched dozens of concepts through massing models, floor plans, diagrams, and sketches to students and faculty for critique before presenting my final design to the art department and local architects. 

In order to foster exploration and collaboration, the final design invites passing students into the building with uninterrupted views on the ground floor. Upon entry, visitors are encouraged to wander with the gentle bending of the studio walls. Furthermore, the central library core pulls students through the entire building, inviting them to glimpse activity within other classrooms and share ideas. Finally, independent work spaces pull students to the corners of the building to continue their work outside of class.