The Glade
ABOUT
Client
Undisclosed
Typology
Institutional
Location
Undisclosed
Design Team
Matthew O’Malia,
Riley Pratt, Timothy Lock
Designed for a small, ecologically focused private college, the Glade is a conceptual design for a village of dormitory buildings that integrate with the natural environment, generate their own electricity, and foster community at a variety of scales.
The basic building form is a donut-like ring, assembled from modular living units and arrayed around a central courtyard that is open to the sky. Gaps in the ring serve as entry points, and the dorm suites’ doors open directly onto the courtyard, which serves as a semi-public common space. A network of walking paths connects multiple rings in a village-like organization, with each ring potentially developing its own individual character. The configuration provides each suite with a view toward its neighbors as well as a view outward, to nature, supporting both private contemplation and social interaction. The common entry consists of a sheltered outdoor living space, inviting residents and visitors to gather and socialize.
Each ring is topped with a continuous, vegetated roof that bridges the courtyard entries and overhangs the dorm units’ inner walls, offering shade and shelter from the rain. To provide a mounting surface for photovoltaic panels, the roofs are canted higher at one side of the ring. The building plan can be rotated to accommodate various site conditions and optimize solar orientation.
