Boston College, Higgins Hall Expansion and Renovation

Chestnut Hill, MA | 2002

The 120,000 s.f. expansion and 110,000 s.f. renovation transforms Higgins Hall into a dynamic and collaborative academic hub for the campus, increasing program size and integrating resources for the Biology and Physics Departments. Working with the two departments, which had both occupied the original building but with little interaction, Shepley Bulfinch developed a new spatial organization model for a unified science facility that supports different departmental identities and research methods. The program includes a vivarium; teaching and research laboratories; offices; classrooms; and two multi-media auditoria. Flexible teaching spaces and systems meet current needs while accommodating future change. Uniting the new area with the existing building, a light-filled, five-level atrium offers casual gathering spaces for faculty, students, and staff. A heart of modern science within, the limestone tracery and arched windows create a facade that matches the character, scale, and detail of the existing Collegiate Gothic campus.

«Back