As the leading liberal arts college in the country, Williams College is boldly integrating a visible environmental ethic into the fabric of their historic campus. In 2015, Sawyer Library was demolished, resulting in the opportunity to create the first substantial green space in over a century. Envisioned as an inventive 21st century quadrangle, the project re-establishes a fundamental relationship between the campus and its mountain context. The holistic transformation of Chapin Hall Drive into a pedestrian way and the long overdue restoration of Frosh Quad were also undertaken. The project strikes a balance between preserving the historic integrity of the campus cultural landscape, new innovations in stormwater management, and the creation of social spaces immersed in regionally specific ecologies. The project creates environmental opportunities for a student body that faces incredible academic and mental health pressures. This mindset represents a shift in campus master planning, an acknowledgement of agency, flexibility, the connection between landscape and wellness. Here is a place where wildness can contribute to place-making, identity and the overall health of a campus community.

Recognition
Boston Society of Landscape Architects | Merit Award in Design 2019

Collaborators
ARC/ Architectural Resources Cambridge
Bohlin Cywinski Jackson
Cambridge Seven Associates

Photography
Ngoc Minh Ngo
Ngoc Doan
Charles Mayer
Stephen Stimson