The master plan for a new Cornish College of the Arts
campus in the Queen Anne neighborhood of Seattle
utilizes the existing topography, proximity to the Puget
Sound to the southwest, and the Seattle Center located
northeast to develop a diagonal scheme connecting the
proposed campus to its context. The diagonal campus
serves as a conduit from the neighborhood into the Seattle
Center and from the Seattle Center down to the Puget
Sound and the existing Olympic Sculpture Park garden.

My group chose to locate the School of Music on a
slightly larger plot on the prominent Denny Way and
Queen Anne Avenue North corner due to programmatic
needs. This decision also made it the primary campus
gateway. Following the diagonal axis derived from the
master plan, the School of Music is divided into two
volumes. The atrium is placed between the divided
volumes along the diagonal axis, creating a viewshed
directly into the new campus. The atrium becomes a
new public corridor, funneling activity into the campus
while showcasing the students’ daily affairs along the
atrium perimeter.