Wellesley College
Acorns Renovation
Wellesley, MA
Institutional Renovation; 3,375 sf
Completion: 2016
Project Overview
Transforming a residential modernist building into a dynamic new home for Asian, Latina, and LGBTQ Advising. Student and faculty input was a critical part of the participatory design process.
Project Team
Hansy Better Barraza
Lisa LaCharite
Dane Clark
Yin Lu
Wenda Shen
Ariana Lee
Mechanical, Electrical & Plumbing
Allied Consulting
General Contractor
Commodore Builders
Code Consulting
AKF Group
Photography
John Horner
PARTICIPATORY DESIGN PROCESS
STUDENT AND FACULTY COLLABORATION
Studio Luz held a series of focus groups with students and faculty to understand the community’s aspirations for the department and space. The design also drew upon Wellesley College’s mission statement, which emphasizes service and leadership.
FLEXIBLE DESIGN
BALANCING CONFIDENTIALITY AND COMMUNITY
The kitchen and living room were converted into central spaces for gathering, while the bedrooms were converted into offices for specific affinity groups. Rooms were designed with movable textile curtains to either conceal and ensure confidentiality, or to open-up and foster community.
SPACE OF SUPPORT
INTRICATE IDENTITIES OF INTERCONNECTEDNESS
Universities are struggling with creating support spaces for students of color. Wellesley has done this well – in part because of spaces like the Acorns House. The space creates a sense of overlapping, intricate identities of interconnectedness while maintaining the structural integrity of Acorns House.
About the Space
At Wellesley College
Originally designed in 1955 by the architecture firm Compton + Pierce, Acorns House at Wellesley College had historically been used as a residence for the Dean of Students. The primary design challenge was to transform the modernist building into a new home for Asian, Latina, and LGBTQ+ Advising within the Office of Intercultural Education (OIEC). The renovation preserves elements of the original design while incorporating community perspectives. Studio Luz held focus groups with students and faculty to understand the community’s aspirations for the program, and also conceptualized the space based on Wellesley College’s mission statement. Movable textiles create flexibility and ensure spaces can foster confidentiality or community depending on meeting needs. The kitchen and living room were converted into central spaces for gathering, while the bedrooms were converted into offices for specific affinity groups. Furniture associated with the home – such as hammocks and lounge chairs – create a sense of community. The overall effect creates a sense of overlapping, intricate identities of interconnectedness while maintaining the structural integrity of Acorns House.
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