Good Design Awards: Duan Family Center for Computing & Data Sciences wins 2025 Green Good Design Award
Excerpt from Good Design Awards | March 28, 2025 | Photo: Tom Arban Photography and Nic Lehoux
The Center exemplifies the integration of innovative design, sustainability, and academic purpose, serving as a campus landmark and a model for urban architecture. Situated on a compact site along the Charles River, the 345,000-square-foot, 19-story structure unites 3,000 students, faculty, and staff from previously dispersed departments into a collaborative environment. The tower’s cantilevered volumes rotate around a central core, granting each department a distinct identity and outdoor space. The absence of corner offices and inclusion of a five-story atrium foster connectivity and interaction. A ribbon-like staircase links classrooms, collaboration zones, and workspaces, all bathed in natural light from the triple-glazed curtain wall, promoting intellectual cross-pollination and community building in line with the University’s commitment to interdisciplinary innovation.