Marblehead Hall at Endicott College

A new dormitory transforms a disparate group of residence halls into a cohesive student village through careful siting and creative design.

Bergmeyer’s new building for Endicott College does more than provide on-campus residences for the college’s growing student population. Sited between two previously disconnected dorms, it creates a real residential quad on the site of a former parking lot. The campus’ hilly location and expanding athletic programs meant buildable open space was already at a premium. After testing several site options, Bergmeyer concluded that the most challenging site had the greatest place-making potential. The ‘L’-shaped building perches on a slope above Beverly Cove and contains a quadrangle within its two wings. Although this option posed a structural challenge, the scheme produced a significant open space accessible by all three halls in the village. An outdoor living room now supports active and passive recreational programs and enhances the campus living experience. With brick and stucco construction updated by modern detailing, the building’s architectural vocabulary was inspired by the impressive manor houses that dot the Cape Ann coastline. Multiple lounges on each floor invite residents to congregate outside their private rooms. A lighthouse-like central stair creates a vertical main street that fosters connections between students on different floors by encouraging them to take the stairs over the elevator. Abundant natural light animates the palette of warm interior colors and textures.