Koch Center for Science, Math & Technology at Deerfield Academy / SOM

Koch Center for Science, Math & Technology at Deerfield Academy / SOM - Image 2 of 16Koch Center for Science, Math & Technology at Deerfield Academy / SOM - FacadeKoch Center for Science, Math & Technology at Deerfield Academy / SOM - Brick, Facade, Windows, ConcreteKoch Center for Science, Math & Technology at Deerfield Academy / SOM - Windows, Brick, FacadeKoch Center for Science, Math & Technology at Deerfield Academy / SOM - More Images+ 11

  • Architects: Skidmore, Owings, & Merrill, LLP
  • Project Team: Roger Duffy, FAIA / Design Partner, David Childs, FAIA / Design Partner, Anthony Vacchione, AIA / Managing Partner, Christopher McCready, AIA / Project Manager, Ursula Schneider / Senior Designer, Scott Kirkham / Senior Designer, Reiner Bagnato / Technical Coordinator
  • Collaborators: Frank Ruggerio, Alexandra Cuber, Vivian Lee, Thomas Behr, Terry Hudak
  • Planetarium Consultant: Spitz Inc.
  • Collaborating Artist: James Turrell
  • Astronomer: Richard Walker
  • Geologist: Richard Little
  • Client: Deerfield Academy
  • Communications Consultant: Valley Communications Systems Inc.
  • Surveyor: Sherman & Woods
  • Commissioning: BVH Integrated Services
  • Building Size: 7,400 sqm
  • Design Year: 2001 - 2003
  • City: Deerfield
  • Country: United States
More SpecsLess Specs
Koch Center for Science, Math & Technology at Deerfield Academy / SOM - Windows, Brick, Facade
Courtesy of SOM

Text description provided by the architects. Project Team: Roger Duffy, FAIA / Design Partner, David Childs, FAIA / Design Partner, Anthony Vacchione, AIA / Managing Partner, Christopher McCready, AIA / Project Manager, Ursula Schneider / Senior Designer, Scott Kirkham / Senior Designer, Reiner Bagnato / Technical Coordinator

Koch Center for Science, Math & Technology at Deerfield Academy / SOM - Brick, Facade
Courtesy of SOM

Designed to encourage interdisciplinary communication and informal learning, this 80,000-square-foot building contains 15 classrooms, eight labs, faculty offices and a conference hall, extra-help rooms and special project areas. The program also includes a multi-media classroom, two biology gardens and a growth room, two small seminar rooms, six informal seating areas; seven garden terraces, a café, a lecture hall that also functions as a 50-seat planetarium, and a large lecture hall arranged in a Socratic configuration with interactive, distance learning capabilities.

Koch Center for Science, Math & Technology at Deerfield Academy / SOM - Image 13 of 16
plan
Koch Center for Science, Math & Technology at Deerfield Academy / SOM - Image 16 of 16
section

The centerpiece of the building is a multi-purpose central commons with a starfield map and analemma, providing circulation space and a public lobby for the lecture halls.

Koch Center for Science, Math & Technology at Deerfield Academy / SOM - Facade
Courtesy of SOM

The program is arranged in an elongated Z-shaped plan, with this central large atrium/common area. By incorporating this plan with the site, existing contour lines on the site were extruded in brick to form the walls of the architecture. By greening the roofs and terraces, the Z-form of the structure dissolves into a fluid form characteristic of the landscape. To complement the predominantly Georgian style of Deerfield Academy, the Koch Center is built out of locally-made bricks from a Massachusetts company established in 1893.

Koch Center for Science, Math & Technology at Deerfield Academy / SOM - Brick, Facade
Courtesy of SOM

The building aims to make the wonders of science and perception visible in the actual design of the building. The analemma skylight, essentially a pinhole in the roof plane of the building, admits a beam of light on to the north wall of the science commons. The changing position of the sun in the sky (high in summer, low in winter) changes the position of the projection, creating the infinity shape of the analemma and demonstrating the elliptical and axial movement of the earth on its yearly orbit about the sun.

Koch Center for Science, Math & Technology at Deerfield Academy / SOM - Garden
Courtesy of SOM

Project gallery

See allShow less

Project location

Address:Deerfield, MA, USA

Click to open map
Location to be used only as a reference. It could indicate city/country but not exact address.
About this office
Cite: "Koch Center for Science, Math & Technology at Deerfield Academy / SOM" 30 Dec 2009. ArchDaily. Accessed . <https://www.archdaily.com/44960/koch-center-for-science-math-technology-at-deerfield-academy-skidmore-owings-merrill> ISSN 0719-8884

You've started following your first account!

Did you know?

You'll now receive updates based on what you follow! Personalize your stream and start following your favorite authors, offices and users.