Olin Hall: A Model for Interdisciplinary Design at Colgate University

Following a major renovation and expansion project led by RAMSA (Robert A.M. Stern Architects), Olin Hall at Colgate University, Hamilton, has a new role as a hub for interdisciplinary learning.

Opened in 1971 as Colgate’s first dedicated science building, Olin Hall has since undergone incremental updates but never a systemic overhaul to meet contemporary teaching and research needs. This new project has added approximately 20,000 m2 of state-of-the-art facilities, including laboratories and common areas, and has transformed the building into a flexible ecosystem where different disciplines can meet, cross-pollinate, and collaborate.

Olin Hall: A new knowledge ecosystem

The heart of the project is a bright, permeable double-height common space that acts as a social and intellectual catalyst. Connections in this space are not only visual but physical, with a transverse stair between the two levels creating open circulation routes – sharply contrasting with the previous closed, compartmentalized corridors.

The façade tells a story of continuity and innovation. Because the original stone was no longer available, the design team conducted an almost archaeological investigation into the material’s geological origins, leading them to a quarry in northern Pennsylvania. The result is a façade that engages the campus’s history by recalling the tones, textures, and mosaic motifs of the adjacent buildings while maintaining a contemporary voice.

The result is that Olin Hall is a model 21st-century academic building anchored in its context, attentive to materials, and, in particular, designed to promote collaboration as the driver of knowledge. Study areas and lounges are adaptable, ready to accommodate future changes in academic programs.

As George de Brigard, an associate partner at RAMSA, points out, the goal was to create a place where disciplines intersect naturally, almost inevitably. This was echoed by Colgate president Brian W. Casey, for whom the complexity of the project was amply rewarded by a building that is now “truly interdisciplinary.”

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