Baker Hall
Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA
30,000 square feet
To meet the challenge of building an addition to a historic building in a limited space, the design expanded the basement of Baker Hall beyond the footprint above, increasing the total square footage by almost fifty percent. To preserve as much of the building’s historic fabric as possible, the addition was plotted eight feet away from the existing structure, with its atrium connecting to the original building through a skyway on each floor. An outside study piazza above the basement expansion features skylights to provide daylighting to the basement-level classrooms and offices. The program elements include faculty and administrative offices, psychology laboratories, two lecture halls, and interactive classrooms. In addition, lounge spaces at different locations and scales provide informal spaces where students can meet in a non-institutionalized setting.
