Student Academic Support Center at Dartmouth College

Providing student support services is serious work. This space makes it more fun.

The Dartmouth College Student Academic Support Services Center was designed to bring a diverse group of student advising departments together in one place. Knowing that the students needing support services were often in stressful situations — and New Hampshire winters are notoriously long and grey — the goal was to create a space that would be warm and engaging . . . and give student advising a complete makeover.

The serpentine wall finished in yellow venetian plaster is the first cue that something new and different is happening here. Opposite the curve, the rectangular geometry of the meeting rooms and the high line of the banquette back relate to some of the existing building’s historic features while creating a playful array of in-between seating areas. Wall coverings and fabrics are brightly-colored and textured to make the space feel welcoming and memorable. The cozy pre-meeting nooks are very popular with students as they also effectively buffer private conversations and reduce the number of closed doors — all part of making student support services a happier place!