Within the Adolescent Center146;s envelope is 28,000sf devoted to numerous student activities and the faculty and administrative
spaces that support them, including a 15-unit dormitory with expansive common area, kitchen and dining facilities, and a roof
terrace; eight classrooms; a gymnasium with regulation-sized basketball court, and two amphitheaters, one corresponding with
the building146;s 145;Grand Stair146;, and the other terraced into a dominant hill on the campus.
The expansion is dominated by two primary architectural forms. The pale, sandstone colored 147;box148; houses the gymnasium,
and is punctuated by a sliding door which opens to integrate the interior and exterior spaces; the horizontal bar-like structure is
comprised of classrooms and a residence hall, articulated architecturally to reflect functional differences 150; while the residence
hall is clad in brick, the classrooms below are finished in sandstone-colored blocks. These two forms meet at a central lobby at
contrasting angles, creating a strong linear expression, where warm natural wood defines the shared gathering spaces and
primary circulation for the building.
Building upon this mixed-use layout, the Adolescent Center is equipped with occupiable circulation and interstitial spaces which
provide program flexibility, supporting school assemblies and instruction; providing opportunities for students to gather
informally for group work, lunch or conversation; and facilitating chance meetings between faculty and staff in their routine
movements around campus. By locating these community-oriented spaces at the crossroads between major program pieces,
granting them commodious proportions relative to private spaces, and finishing them to a high level of detail with a palette of
rich materials, the design telegraphs St. Ann146;s commitment to crafting a vibrant and connected community.
The mixed-use building supports an integrated learning experience and creates conditions for efficiency and synergy between
programs. Locating classrooms within a residential building has several advantages: not only does it allow these spaces to be
re-programmed in the evening to support a variety of student activities, from club meetings to tutoring, it has the consequence
of reducing the square footage needed to satisfy the institution146;s programming requirements by optimizing each classroom146;s
hours of use. The design of the 15-unit dormitory, which offers a warm and homelike atmosphere amidst an otherwise
institutional setting, further promotes the school146;s commitment to community.
The dormitory146;s layout is an innovative example of flexible design, allowing the school to adapt the space to changes in student
populations and funding for on-campus housing. In its current form, the single-sex dorm rooms surround an open common
area. The simple introduction of a door allows the School to convert to a mixed environment, in which male and female students
share the kitchen and dining room but possess separate living areas and bathroom facilities. The space also anticipates
potential changes in funding from state agencies: by including a wall and repositioning a door, half of the dorm is repurposed
as clinical space.
A mixed-use building is a powerful tool in realizing multiple institutional goals in the same facility, producing flexible spaces and
increasing interconnectivity of an institution146;s programs and people.
The Adolescent Center at St Ann146s Home and School
