John W. Olver Design Building, University of Massachusetts Amherst

{"version":"0.3.0","atoms":[],"cards":[],"markups":[["i"]],"sections":[[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"The Olver Design Building, a new\ncollaborative facility at University of Massachusetts, Amherst, unites three\ndesign departments from different schools under one roof. In doing so, the\nbuilding fosters new synergy across the disciplines of architecture, building\nand construction technology, and landscape architecture on the university\u2019s\nflagship western Massachusetts campus. "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"Drawing inspiration from various\nagrarian patterns found throughout the state, the new building links the more\nformal, large-scale Haigis Mall, built in 1975, to the informal and intimate\nspace of the historic campus. From its sloping site, the building acts as a new\npathway through the campus, while its design evokes the school\u2019s roots as a\nland-grant college where local pastures and fields once served as its labs and\nworking classrooms. "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"The LEED Gold-certified building was\nconstructed with a cutting-edge composite cross-laminated timber system, taking\nits cues from the building construction technology department\u2019s research on\nmass timber. It is the largest such building in the United States,\ndemonstrating the university\u2019s commitment to sustainability and innovation. The\nbuilding\u2019s envelope functions as a protective weather jacket that shields its\nwood structure. A durable rain screen enclosure composed of copper anodized\naluminum panels and vertical windows suggest the patterns of historic tobacco\nbarns and the region\u0027s forests."]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"Inside the building, the team shaped an\nascending band of makerspaces, studios, faculty offices, and classrooms around\na sky-lit commons to form a central space for collaboration. The commons,\nintended for gatherings and presentations, features a stepped-seating area and\na ceremonial cross-laminated timber stair that spans two stories. Elsewhere,\nexposed timber columns, ceiling slabs, and cross-bracing bolster the building\u2019s\nwarm and rustic atmosphere. The building\u2019s mechanical systems are revealed\nwithin the labs and teaching spaces, allowing them to serve as teaching tools for\nthe university\u2019s future architects, planners, and engineers."]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"As the building\u2019s spiritual heart, the\ncommons functions as a three-sided courtyard that spills out through the\nbuilding\u2019s cafe and entry to invite the rest of the campus in. A roof terrace\nperched above the commons is its outdoor counterpart, providing an open-air\nclassroom for the landscape architecture program. It is reminiscent of an\nalpine garden, featuring wild-harvested sod, bare-root plants, and young\nevergreens. "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"The design team and the university have\nwidely shared lessons learned throughout the design and construction process.\nThe team\u2019s work has been published nearly 30 times, shared at national and\ninternational conferences, and featured in the "],[0,[0],1,"Timber City"],[0,[],0," exhibition at the National Building Museum. In 2017 the\n"],[0,[0],1,"Wall Street Journal"],[0,[],0," noted that the building has helped \u201clay the foundations\nfor the smart use of mass timber in ways that will soon enrich, and transform,\nour environment.\u201d"]]]]}