BSA Space maximizes the BSA’s engagement with a larger public
by creating a series of interfaces, both physical and informational.
The physical design of the new headquarters introduces a “cloud”
ceiling that capitalizes on the viewing angles between the sidewalk
and the second floor, to create a highly visible signature feature that
doubles as gallery ceiling and supergraphic signage.
Drawing the public up to the second floor, a grand stair drops down
from the ceiling above, and provides a fluid transition between
floors with a single gesture. The stair and ceiling form the primary
figure of the physical interface. Information technologies are also
embedded in the “cloud” ceiling, allowing its edge to broadcast
messages through an LED sign band, while projectors display a
digital wayfinding entrance mat, and wireless transmitters stream
video feeds. “Public Exchange” consoles are located throughout the
space, allowing the public to access curated information about the
built environment, construction billings index figures, and databases
of designers, products, and services.
The contoured media surface wraps around the perimeter of the
space, creating a continuous gallery and event circuit. Program
areas are held back from the edge, allowing the public circulation
to flow along the perimeter. The gallery program is conceived as a
series of fluid paths and not as a discrete room. The content of the
exhibitions produce the programmatic “current” to the flow of the
gallery. Placing the gallery along the edge reinforces the cognitive
parallax between the contents of the exhibitions in the foreground
and the city in the background. This is consistent with the BSA’s
core mission to support the active engagement between the process
of design and the resulting product of the built environment.
The new BSA produces “Public Exchange” through its organizational
and material logics, as well as through its network and media
strategies. The fluid spaces of the linear gallery parallel the constant
streams of broadcast information. The archipelago of programs and
exhibitions will create a smooth mixture of audiences and content
within the flows and eddies of the BSA’s slipstream configuration,
resulting in the productive discourse that is BSA’s mission. With
such a cohesive design and a LEED Gold status, the new BSA will
be integral part in the design community of Boston.