The New Science Center (NSC) at Amherst College anchors the eastern edge of the bucolic hilltop campus in Amherst, Massachusetts. From overall organization to the finest detail, the design of the NSC achieves transparency and interaction at every level. The surrounding landscape seamlessly meets the transparent glass façade of the Commons, blurring the edges of the central living room and creating a gathering space that feels like an extension of the outdoors. …

The New Science Center (NSC) at Amherst College in Amherst, Massachusetts, has several eye-catching features: from its column-free glass-walled commons space to its rooftop garden, transparent lab spaces, and hung atrium corridor and stair.  To be certain, these features are striking, clean, and inviting, but there is a common theme that bonds all these disparate elements. One might notice that it is not the building’s highlights that make it functional; the consistency of the architecturally exposed concrete is key. …