SCUP/AIA-CAE Excellence in Architecture for a New Building,
Honor Award

Brown University for the Granoff Center for the Creative Arts with Diller Scofidio + Renfro

© Iwan Baan

© Iwan Baan

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The Granoff Center for the Creative Arts at Brown University serves a range of arts disciplines, advances new directions in teaching and research and challenges boundaries between the arts, sciences and humanities.

The center’s multidisciplinary academic approach reaches beyond the arts departments and encourages the entire academic community to work outside of conventional discipline boundaries.

“The Granoff Center reaffirms the university’s belief that the arts are integral to a liberal education,” says Brown University President Ruth J. Simmons.

The structure’s distinctive and progressive design cultivates a renewed sense of school identity and community. The open space west of the structure, outdoor amphitheater, and public gallery spaces, engages the community, students, faculty, and staff.

Using split-level floor plates, the building shapes the educational practices inside by displaying and encouraging creative exchange and promoting cross-disciplinary collaboration.

The center connects the previously disjointed Lincoln Field campus and the Pembroke campus and expands the university’s network of open spaces.

The multi-media learning environments blur the boundaries between artistic and academic boundaries and challenge the limitations of art and technology.

The jury said, “ . . . this is a key intervention on campus . . . very compelling concept . . . loved sense of detailing . . . jewel in the middle of a tight urban fabric . . . building is friendly, fun and is beautifully put together . . . ”

The building will meet LEED Gold certification standards, and is a model for sustainable campus design. Green features include green roof technology for water management and thermal mass, programmed exterior sun shading, low-e coated windows, reduced electrical loads, sunlight metering and dimming light fixtures, super efficient mechanical equipment, water reducing plumbing fixtures, FSC certified wood paneling, recycled finish materials, and bike racks at both entrances.

“The building was designed to serve the synergistic nature of the program. It encourages the interdisciplinary collaboration Brown has historically been noted for and will continue to develop in the future,” says Richard Fishman, professor of visual art and director of the Creative Arts Council.

Project Team: Brown University with Diller Scofidio + Renfro; also Robert Silman Associates; Jaffe Holden Acoustics/AV; Fisher Dachs Associates; Atelieri Sebor Wieber; Nitsch Engineering; GZA GeoEnvironmental, Inc.; Atelier Ten; Todd Rader + Amy Crews; Tillotson Design Associates; Simpson Gumpertz & Heger; Pentagram and Malcolm Grear; Shawmut Design and Construction