Bryn Mawr is a highly regarded women’s liberal arts college sited on a 132-acre campus, long recognized as one of the most beautiful in the country. It is characterized by rolling landscapes and distinctive Collegiate Gothic buildings that form a wonderfully composed experience for those who study and work there. The existing residence halls are much loved by students for their unique features and are considered asset of the College’s student life.
Atkin Olshin Schade Architects worked with Bryn Mawr College on the design of a new residence hall, the first on campus in over fifty years. This was a design opportunity to not only provide contemporary amenities, but also create spaces that respond to and respect the existing architectural fabric and landscape. The visual connections between spaces, interior and exterior, was a primary design goal.
The newly designed building and renovated building, attached by an enclosed walkway bridge, house 130 beds and provides community spaces for studying and socializing. The new residence hall is sited near the main college entry by Rockefeller Hall and forms a gateway to the greater campus, which includes buildings by noted architects Cope & Stewardson and Louis Kahn. Haffner Hall connects across a new landscaped courtyard to an existing residence hall and dining hall. In addition to the design of the new residential building, we also renovated community spaces and associated student residences in an adjacent wing to serve as the Minority Student Center. The landscape design includes a new outdoor bistro seating area off the Dining Hall, and a lawn area.