The architectural firm responsible for MIT's PDSI (Physics, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Spectroscopy and Infrastructure) Building Project recently received an accolade for its design work on what is now Building 6C.
Building 6C, completed in 2007 in the courtyard surrounded by Buildings 2, 4, 6 and 8, was designed by Payette, an architectural design firm specializing in complex buildings for medical and scientific research, academic teaching and healthcare.
The Society for College and University Planning (SCUP) and the American Institute of Architects Committee on Architecture for Education (AIA-CAE) named Payette the recipient of the Honor Award for Excellence in Architecture for Building Additions for its design of the PDSI Project.
The project consolidated multiple academic departments into large contiguous areas to support collaborative work, while simultaneously providing infrastructure for future renovations. The addition consists of a glass facade, outfitted with operable windows and sliding translucent privacy screens. The floor of the space between buildings also includes artwork by Sol LeWitt.
"The historic buildings of the Main Group are a well-known characteristic of MIT's remarkable campus fabric," said Charles Klee, principal of Payette. "The key issue was to preserve the open character of the courtyard and also address the long-term sustainability and infrastructure for the entire Main Group."
