Simmons Hall, Massachusetts Architecture, Cambridge Building, Architect, Date

Simmons Hall Boston, USA

MIT Building by Steven Holl in Massachusetts, United States of America

page updated Jul 27, 2016 ; Jun 16, 2008

Simmons Hall Boston

Location: Simmons Hall, MIT, Cambridge
Date built: 1999-2002
Design: Steven Holl Architects

Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)

images from architect

The undergraduate residence is envisioned with the concept of “porosity.” It is a vertical slice of city, 10 stories tall and 382′ long, providing a 125 seat theater, a night café, and street level dining. The “sponge” concept transforms the building via a series of programmatic and bio-technical functions.

The building has five large openings corresponding to main entrances, view corridors, and outdoor activity terraces. Large, dynamic openings are the lungs, bringing natural light down and moving air up. Each of the dormitory’s single rooms has nine operable windows. An 18″ wall depth shades out the summer sun while allowing the low angled winter sun to help heat the building. At night, light from these windows is rhythmic and magical.

source: http://www.stevenholl.com/projects/mit-simmons-hall

Text: Courtesy Steven Holl Architects

Simmons Hall building : Steven Holl Architects

More info online soon

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ILaYyvRUR9Y

This MIT hall of residence has its own unique government structure with student-led initiatives to unique social “lounge” structure to open house meetings and proposals.

Residential Scholars Program

The Founders Group of Simmons Hall envisioned a combined residential and multi-use environment in which the undergraduates of MIT could interact with other members of the community. Simmons includes many common spaces on the first floor that are intended to welcome our colleagues from across campus and our neighbors from Cambridge.
source: http://simmons.mit.edu/about.html

Location: 77 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge, MA, USA