McLaughlin Housing Cluster

Dan J on November 19, 2023

The McLaughlin Cluster at Dartmouth College is a living/learning community that mixes first-year and upper-class students and provides gender-inclusive housing for the Ivy League school. A combination of two-room doubles, singles, and suites provide 343 beds within a variety of configurations alongside many amenities including shared kitchens, lounges, living and study spaces. The cluster configuration fosters social interaction and creates access to a smaller community group amidst the larger campus community. Its massing frames outdoor gathering spaces that celebrate the natural beauty of the school’s surroundings. Covered entry porches activate the buildings at the ground level and offer outdoor gathering spaces for each building. A central Commons creates a social heart that further serves the entire community.

The design emphasizes the humanistic aspects of sustainability with environmental initiatives integrated to benefit the making of place and community. Radiant heating and cooling reduce energy use and provides greater occupant comfort. Access to daylight and views were also important to the design. The Cluster is built to last 100 years, respond to extreme swings in climate, and handle enthusiastic student use. A model for its sustainable design leadership, the Cluster was one of the first projects on campus to earn a LEED Gold rating.

New Palm Springs Campus Master Plan

Dan J on November 17, 2023

Strategically located adjacent to downtown Palm Springs, the new satellite campus reflects a new model in 21st Century higher education learning environments. The new campus will support the College of the Desert’s vision of communicating knowledge through innovation and creative industry partnerships in sectors such as hospitality and tourism, digital arts, sustainability, and healthcare. While educating and inspiring the workforce of tomorrow, the new College of the Desert satellite campus’ environs will focus on enabling these industry partnerships, a key tenet of its vision.

The master planning strategy shapes buildings, open space, and infrastructure to integrate demonstrable sustainability strategies that are designed to promote collaboration and interaction in service to hands on learning.  Common interests of campus and community are integrated by investing in campus zones and linking them through pedestrian promenades to adjacent neighborhood communities. This approach also creates enhanced visibility for academic and associated infrastructure within the community. Framed views at multiple scales, into the heart of campus and outwards to the San Jacinto Mountains, build upon the unique characteristics of the regional landscape. This approach is a key principle of early Mid-Century Modernism, a driving design aesthetic within the community of Palm Springs.

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