Princeton University ORFE Building Sherrerd Hall

Sherrerd Hall’s form grew out of its purpose. A home for Princeton’s computer sciences, economics, engineering, mathematics and social sciences departments, the hall functions as an interdisciplinary hub for research and collaboration. Our design celebrates the diverse community that inhabits the building, favoring clarity and simplicity over grand gestures.
Located on the campus’s east end, the 46,000-square-foot, cube-shaped hall blends with its surroundings, its mirror-like glass surface nearly disappearing into the nearby sycamore trees.
“It has an ethereal quality that connects it to its environment,” notes principal Frederick Fisher, adding that glass “opens a building to the world.”
Sherrerd Hall transforms into a lantern at night. The light glowing from within makes the design’s nuances apparent: vertical rows subtly juxtapose horizontal panes and opaque black and orange columns contrast the glass surface.
The glass enclosure protruding from the hall’s otherwise seamless façade reveals the lit central stairway inside. L.A. artist Jim Isermann’s multi-story geometric chandelier hangs along the stairs, dozens of lights shining in different directions from within a metallic, trellis-like frame.
The main stairway rises up through the three-story central atrium that we call the town square, with walls of windows inviting in the outside campus. Groups of chairs and tables throughout inspire casual conversation and spontaneous study sessions.
Formal study studios, lecture halls and faculty offices all open off of the atrium, making traffic patterns highly visible from anywhere in the building. Our design’s transparency emphasizes the connection between human relationships, nature and intellectual discovery, inspiring collaboration and participation. The hall’s green roof, filled with trays of plants, absorbs rain runoff, insulates the building and acts as one more gathering place, bringing the design’s commitment to community and environment full circle.