When
you're given a commission on the campus of Princeton
University, you have tot try hard to make everyone
happy. The building has to blend seamlessly into the
existing architecture, much of which is historic or
neo-Gothic. At the same time, you have to meet modern
HVAC, internet, meeting, lighting, and other standards
that pull in the opposite direction. SVBA had some
experience already on campus, so the environment surrounding
this double-hall wasn't anything new to them. They
had the advantage of being next to a building from
the 1960's, so their 1990's style doesn't seem so
out of place. It incorporates a lot of red brick and
limestone that will age nicely and only seem more
appropriate as time goes on. The curves of the building
form bay windows evocative of the English manor houses
Princeton's original architects were all too familiar
with. Consider it a modern, conservative, interpretation
of such a dwelling.