A Long Walk Home

A Long Walk Home is a multi-purpose office building for the National Science Foundation exploring structure as a generator of form. Conceptually, the project is inspired by the function of ambulatory space in medieval churches—a critique of the idea that knowledge work requires a singular, fixed location. To achieve this ambulatory effect, the building leverages the exploded column—popularized by John Portman—to organize space.

In plan, major and minor spaces are created along both horizontal and vertical planes. These exploded columns organize large gathering spaces and walkways, while providing multistory skylights, meeting rooms, elevators across floors.

Commuting patterns of Boston’s Beacon Hill neighborhood are abstracted to produce a ground-level walkway for pedestrians to engage with programs hosted in the science center’s amphitheater and archival space. A corrugated glass curtain wall diffuses light permeating through multiple floors Representation choices were inspired by the Ship of Theseus—critiquing traditional fantasies of authorship and permanence within design practice.

Project Type :: Environmental Design

Year :: 2021