ABSTRACT
The design of Simmons Hall involved many firms and individuals, but the following discussion focuses on the partnership between Steven Holl architects and Guy Nordenson and associates. Steven Holl architects (SHA) is a New York-based firm founded by Steven Holl. IN 1999, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in Cambridge, Massachusetts hired Steven Holl to design a new residence hall. A primary goal of the project was to promote interaction among the students both around and inside the building. After the structure was complete, the facade was wrapped in sanded aluminum giving the building a subtle reflectivity, and the window jams and headers were assigned a color. This system proved economical and the digital modeling of the molds in the pre-casting process allowed for incredible precision and refinement in the final product: This contrast is particularly evident in the grand lobby staircase. Simmons Hall opened in 2002 and received considerable praise from architectural critics.
