Title: Edens Quad
Location of Proejct: Durham, NC
Project Completion Date: 2016
Firm Name: Clark Nexsen

Short Description: Described as “fortress-like” by students, Edens Quad was the least desirable place to live on campus. A series of strategies were developed for reviving the quad, creating a vibrant residential community connected to and engaged with the greater campus. A new entry threshold punctures the fortress walls to extend an existing campus axis into the quad. Study and gaming amenities surround the new gateway, providing unique campus amenities. Existing commons areas are transformed into lanterns that provide needed transparency, connecting interior and exterior spaces. Repurposed exterior spaces enhance the sense of community and further the connection between inside and out.

Architect's Statement: Prior to this transformative renovation, the residence halls of Edens Quad were considered the least desirable places to live on the campus of Duke University. Through a collaborative process, the design team worked with university stakeholders to develop a series of strategies for reviving these late 1960’s buildings, creating a vibrant residential community connected to and engaged with the greater campus.

The original buildings, described by students in early focus groups as “fortress-like,” are transformed through a series of glass lanterns that provide transparency, connecting student areas to exterior quad activity. In each case, stone-clad precast wall panels were removed and replaced with new glass curtainwall. Much needed natural light fills the new spaces during the day while indoor light spills out into the quad in the evenings allowing programs and activities to be seen.

A community threshold or entry gateway is created by puncturing the “fortress” walls to extend an existing campus axis into the community’s quad. The threshold is animated by group study and gaming areas that provide unique campus amenities for Edens as well as the larger campus community.

The existing buildings were scattered with small amenity spaces (study, computer, lounge, etc). Each of these were remote and embedded inside the individual residence halls comprising Edens Quad. A strategy was developed to repurpose these small spaces into new dorm rooms and to relocate all of the shared amenity space into two main locations: the first being the study/gaming pavilion located at the main quad threshold and the second being the multipurpose room located adjacent to the Quad lawn. This strategy resulted in much more impactful amenity space without the loss of any existing bed-counts.

Finally, gathering spaces are located along pedestrian paths, at intersections, and near main entries to encourage a sense of community and enliven the outdoor areas between the residence halls.