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A stunning atrium unifies this open, contemporary space, defining it as a campus crossroads for active learning

Sacred Heart University Frank and Marisa Martire Center for the Liberal Arts

Client
Sacred Heart University
Location
Fairfield, CT
Size
130,000 SF
Photographer
©Anton Grassl/ESTO
Services
Architecture
Additional Services
Civil Engineering
Interior Design
Landscape Architecture
Status
Completed August 2015
Awards
Boston Society of Architects, Honor Awards for Design Excellence, Citation
Society for College and University Planning/American Institute of Architects Committee on Architecture for Education (SCUP/AIA-CAE), Merit Award for Excellence in Architecture for a New Building
Boston Society of Landscape Architects, Merit Award – Design
American Institute of Architects New England, Design Awards, Merit Award — Institutional Category

Designed to house both the John F. Welch College of Business and the School of Communications, Media, and the Arts, the Frank and Marisa Martire Center for the Liberal Arts is a dynamic, multi-disciplinary nexus located on a gateway site at the campus’s northern edge. The Martire Center is one of three projects born out of Sasaki’s master plan for the university, which also included a University Chapel and McMahon Student Commons. The projects are knitted together through a series of distinct yet harmonious landscapes.

In addition to housing the School of Communications, the unique building program once provided contemporary learning spaces for business students. Facilities included an active trading floor, case study classrooms, and interactive labs. Now, as the primary space for Sacred Heart’s Liberal Arts program, the building offers several multimedia classrooms, two large studios for television, video and film production, industry-standard post-production editing suites and screening venues, and a multi-media forum for lectures and screenings. Additional areas include conference rooms and lounges for meetings, a student success center, and a full-service dining area.

A two-story atrium unites the program elements and serves as a crossroads of social and intellectual activity. Within the atrium, a café and loose furniture encourage a friendly, collaborative atmosphere. A grand staircase anchoring the north end of the atrium serves also as additional seating. Areas for group study and active circulation surround the atrium, spanning and connecting both levels. The atrium also ties together the main entry court and the lower entry court. The main entry court includes a reflective water feature integrated with sculptural art. Seat walls in the landscape, shaded by trees, offer informal areas for gathering. The lower entry court provides a pedestrian connection to the campus to the south, and creates an iconic view of the archway for those approaching from campus. The lower entry court, the courtyard, and the main entry court at Park Avenue are all tied together by a series of sculptural trees.

The Martire Center balances traditional and contemporary, both in its architectural expression and approach to learning. The Center is the starting point of a network of buildings and open space that includes the Great Green, the Chapel, and the Linda E. McMahon Commons—each also designed by Sasaki and tied together by pedestrian paths leading diagonally through campus.

For more information contact Vinicius Gorgati.

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