Project

The Front Door is Open

Perpendicular extension opens up historic Building 16 to fuse heritage site with modern, integrated learning environment

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In Progress
Adaptive Reuse
Civic
Cultural
Development
Higher Ed
K-12

Tufts University Agnes Varis Campus Center

Tufts University
North Grafton, Massachusetts

Originally a male nurse’s residence hall for a state hospital, historic Building 16 was purchased by Tufts to become the front doors to the university’s North Grafton Campus and the home of the School of Veterinary Medicine. Finegold Alexander worked closely with the administration, faculty and students to preserve the exterior of the historic building, while also transforming it into a new student hub for classes, socialization, study, recreation, and meals. The addition’s generous use of glass and strategic lighting make it a beacon at night, marking the arrival point to a place that values socialization, relaxation and wellness.

(Photo credit: Raj Das Photography)

Size
21,700 SF
Scope
New Construction, Renovation
Program
Social and Study Space, Faculty Offices, 90-Seat Cafe, Fitness Center, 175-Seat Lecture Hall
Sustainability
Awards
2009 Worcester Chamber of Commerce, Silver Hammer Award
2009 ABC, EICA Award
In the news
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Project EUI
Two people descending a long staircase in front of floor-to-ceiling windows, with a curvilinear orange wall to the left.
View at the top of row of a lecture hall with light blue-teal seats and walls, and a white board at the bottom in the front.
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“We used to have a bookstore on one corner of a campus, a cafeteria in a trailer on another corner, and no place for students to study or blow off steam… To have one cohesive heartbeat of our campus is a dream come true.”
Tom Keppeler, Former Associate Director of Public Relations, Tufts University
Two women walking down a light-filled corridor, flanking a curvilinear orange wall to the right.
Exterior view of Tufts' Agnes Varis Student Center, with a walkway cutting though the grass leading to the entrance of the modern addition.
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A ‘fast tracked’ project, renovation of the historic building commenced while the design of the lecture hall was still in process. This provided presentation materials for the University’s fundraising timeline and kept construction on schedule.

Two students walking through the servery, with a menu written on a blackboard on a green wall.
Two people descending the steps leading to a walkway adjacent to the extension of the Agnes Varis Student Center.
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Blending contemporary materials with brick and stone accents, the addition complements the existing building, while the whole defines a new campus hub.
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In Progress
Adaptive Reuse
Civic
Cultural
Higher Ed
K-12
Development