Photo Credit: Courtesy of Stanmar Inc.
City administrators, college trustees, park authorities, and independent school-board members who are planning to build a large facility often find themselves in a bind. They want their new building to excite people—to really stand out. But they also have a competing need to create a building that is harmonious with its surroundings. In some cases, a historic district commission that must grant the final approval for a project will place extreme limitations on scale, color, or material selection. These restrictions sometimes cause problems for designers—particularly when the building in question is of a larger scale than the surrounding community.
As specialists in large athletic facilities, Stanmar, Inc., faces these issues regularly, but designers of all types of buildings utilize many of the same techniques, which in recent years have helped owners achieve their goals.
Ancient Wisdom
Like many independent institutions, Miss Porter’s School—a private, college-preparatory school for girls, located in Farmington, Conn., and founded in 1843—is steeped in a traditional architectural style. The feel is similar to that of an Ivy League campus, except that the Ivies—being much larger—are able to absorb more eclectic styles. Porter’s alumni go by the name “Ancients,” which gives an indication of the importance of their history.