MIT's Stata center

HEre's a link: http://web.mit.edu/buildings/statacenter/

Any other DUer's spend any time over there? I took a walk through and was very underwhelmed. I like the exterior and sit facing it every day. The interior was a mess. It has a massively confusing floor layout, and weird windows into people's offices and labs. These supposedly encourage community, but to me they seem to encourage voyeurism instead.

All the furniture (benches etc) is bare plywood, which will look like shit in a few years. This is meant to evoke the old building that stood there. I think it makes it uncomfortable to sit.

There are also a lot of massively soaring hallways, atriums, etc., which conspire to make one feel very small while walking around. It'll be a huge energy suck to keep the place heated. I get the feeling it's too architecturally self-indulgent despite all the talk of it being built for the people there. Covering a building with stainless steel that then reflects sunlight at all the surrounding windows is a bit much as well.

Here's a pic:

All these high-aesthetic architects seem more likely to create cool-looking showplace than good living and working spaces.

Some of it has to do with the spaces -- if they're too big, people are too far away from each other and will probably stay isolated. (A lot of modern libraries are like this, but at least libraries are made for solitary research.) And interior windows are not likely to solve the problem.

It's the same issue as a lot of American homes. Rowhouses with front porches tend to generate community. Spread-out single-family homes mean you're less likely to see your neighbors on a regular basis.

50 years ago.

Granted this Canadian fellow's design is not all that functional - but it brought in the donnor dollars and is liveable.

When initially opened, the Greene building had doors that a student wieghing less than 200 libs could not open (due to air pressure that I M Pie forgot to calculate into his design - and it has worked out fine over time.

Hanna-Barbera cartoon background...I keep expecting Yogi Bear to come waddling out with Boo Boo and the Ranger.
:)

www.chimesatmidnight.blogspot.com

Or is that just because it was shot upwards with an ordinary camera (architectual cameras have special lenses/mounts that let you work around that).