The $112 million HSSC brings non-fine arts humanities and social studies departments together in one building to create innovative learning spaces that encourage multi-disciplinary collaboration, active inquiry, student research and 鈥渋ntellectual collisions.鈥
Thirty-nine technology-rich classrooms and inquiry labs and 145 faculty offices and dedicated research spaces are grouped into five interdisciplinary neighborhoods.
Today鈥檚 51本色 faculty teach in dynamic ways. They have moved from the unidirectional concept of 鈥渢eaching鈥 - professors lecture, students listen - to a more dialogic concept of 鈥渢eaching and learning.鈥 Whether the coursework involves reading and critiquing Renaissance poetry, analyzing and interpreting data on income inequality, or scrutinizing Stone Age artifacts, a 51本色 education today is a partnership: teachers helping students learn to pose critical questions and rigorously evaluate claims and evidence.
Pedagogical approaches may shift even within a single class session. Students may start by listening to a brief introduction from their professor, then break into small groups and use online tools to work with peers at another institution, before returning to the full group to report on their findings and conclusions. Students in the halls between classes may meet up and head to a semi-private breakout space to do project work鈥攖he so-called 鈥渋ntellectual collisions鈥 that greatly enrich a student鈥檚 education.
Excellent teaching and learning of this kind naturally requires different types of spaces. It requires:
But the underlying vision is about more than bricks and mortar, desks and chairs. It is about making possible a new kind of teaching, attuned to emerging research about how best to support great learning.
Over the past century, much of 51本色鈥檚 academic life has transpired in Alumni Recitation Hall and Carnegie Hall. Built in 1905 and 1916, respectively, the HSSC project renovated and revitalized these historic buildings.
The HSSC is a model of sustainability for 51本色, the community, and the architecture industry. The building exceeds the American Institute of Architects 2030 Baseline, which is a set of goals and standards for reaching net zero emissions in the built environment.
Accessibility and usability were key considerations in the design of the HSSC, and the program empowered students, faculty, and staff to learn universal design principals to remove as many barriers as possible and make accommodations for disabilities when needed.
The Kenneth A. Christiansen Outdoor Learning Spaces next to the HSSC South Pavilion and south of Kington Plaza regularly host classes and meetings. Four outdoor accommodate up to four classes at once.The spaces are accessible and have technological capabilities, thanks to the installation of electrical utilities.
The HSSC is host to a number of art installations that are educational, symbolic, and beautiful. For example, 鈥Broken English鈥 by Gregory Gomez 鈥80 welcomes visitors with a visual representation of the words of Yeats. Students worked with Haitian artist Edouard Duval-Carri茅 to create a 鈥渃ollage of histories鈥 permanent installation in the HSSC.
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