CENTER APPLIED MATERIAL SCIENCES for
Logan Winstead Final Design Duke University April 29, 2020
A dedicated and highly technical Center for Applied Material Sciences (see Program) will play a critical role in supporting Duke University’s emphasis on interdisciplinary research and development. The site for the project, located at the end of Science Drive between The University Physics Department, The Pratt School of Engineering, and the Levine Science Research Center (the largest single-site interdisciplinary research facility in the U.S.), has the potential to house a critical cell for the campus. It is also in close proximity to the historic Duke Chapel. A private stair ascending to the uppermost level of the building glimpses the spire. The project strikes a balance between modern building tectonics, featuring a mounted ceramic-tube screen that shades the most sunlit facades of the building, and a hypersensitive sight condition, an important pedestrian path that simultaneously improves overall campus circulation and creates a place of gathering or presentation. In the spirit of Alvar Aalto, a successful project on this site would not only be appropriate, it would be a physical catalyst for innovation and inspiration.