Tilton Student Hub

In 2014 Tilton School initiated a Master Plan to examine their existing campus and articulate a vision for the future. An analysis of the existing facilities was undertaken to determine strengths and weaknesses of the buildings, open spaces, and the campus as a whole. Working closely with the facilities and leadership team, a series of building projects were identified to unify and enhance the academic, social, living, and recreational spaces on Campus. Since Tilton School has a high ratio of building square feet per student compared to its peer schools, they wanted to re-purpose existing buildings and spaces before adding new space. As part of this analysis, the need for a student and information center in the heart of campus emerged as a priority.

Knowles Hall, their primary dormitory and campus icon, sits in the center of campus and is connected to the dining hall, Beaumont. After careful study of the existing buildings, a new student Hub has been designed to infill the space between Knowles and Beaumont. The current library is located across the street, separate from other academic buildings; the desire to bring this closer to the academic quad integrated nicely with the student hub program. The Hub will tie together the relocated library and renovated dining hall, forming a link between the two programs as well as creating new social, learning, and resource spaces.

The Hub will include a café, lounge space, Design Thinking and Maker Spaces, art gallery, student mailboxes, campus store and a relocated and refurbished bowling alley. It will also provide direct access to the Health Center on the lower level of the dormitory. The Hub will feature a double height atrium space with abundant daylight from the skylights above.

The Library will become a place for innovation and collaboration with informal seating areas and other resources to encourage “active” engagement with the library staff and other students. The new balcony level creates quieter spaces for study, research, and collection.

The renovation to the dining hall increases capacity and creates a new “scatter” servery to provide greater choice, flexibility, and flow. The Hub will have direct access from the academic quad making it convenient and easy to access between classes, encouraging frequent use by all. The Hub creates a new heart of the campus, re- energizing the historic buildings and aligning the vigor of the curriculum with inviting community spaces.