d oy l e ' S r e S p o n S i b l e Why rip down a building when you can give it a makeover?
Wave the magic drafting pencil at tons of fifty-year-old concrete, and poof! What before your wondering eyes should appear but a renovated Doyle Hall. Even more magical in Doyle’s case is what didn’t appear — piles of discarded material headed for landfills and oceans. That’s because the magicians in charge of the project, architects Scott Specht and Louise Harpman, had green design in mind from the get-go. Rather than demolish and rebuild the former residence hall, the university wanted the duo to remodel it, in keeping with the recent redesigns of Premont and Fleck halls. “The original building definitely has ‘good bones’ — a very simple structure with an elegantly proportioned concrete frame, brick infill walls, warm clay-tile interior walls, and very large window openings,” says Specht. “It is straightforward and timeless.” Add to those good bones a sun-shade system to minimize afternoon heat; low-toxin paint, sealants and adhesives; energy-efficient lighting, heating, ventilation and cooling; and a white reflective roof on two additional stories totaling 8,500 square feet. Specht and Harpman also exposed the ribbed concrete ceiling slab and integrated natural and artificial lighting. The finished product includes three new classrooms, 50 faculty offices, a café and coffee bar, office space for Human Resources and the School of Behavioral and Social Sciences, and a cuttingedge psychology lab (see sidebar). Outside, an old live oak and hardy native plants enliven a courtyard connecting Doyle with its neighbor, Premont. Shaded seating areas (and a wireless zone) invite students and faculty to gather and study. “We considered this project a bit of ‘stealth architecture,’” says Specht. It does not call attention to itself but works as a fabric binding the existing elements together and allowing them to be seen and used in a completely new way.”
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rebecca amarino ’10
SometimeS, architecture can Seem like a good magic trick.