Harvard SEC (Science & Engineering Complex) | Western Ave | Allston

Thanks Beeline. I was wondering what happened to the screening. I was beginning to think this had been VE'd to death.
 
Thanks Beeline. I was wondering what happened to the screening. I was beginning to think this had been VE'd to death.

Nope .. its coming later. Think of it as the shawl over your blouse (if you are 80) .. or ... you meshed shirt over your duran duran t shirt if your are stuck in the 80s.
 
A lot of the white will be covered by this screening.

https://flic.kr/p/Unrn1q

I've always been intrigued by architectural screens, whether they're simply ornamental, or functional brise soleil. It remains to be seen about how well this will perform against the full fury of a New England winter.
 
I've always been intrigued by architectural screens, whether they're simply ornamental, or functional brise soleil. It remains to be seen about how well this will perform against the full fury of a New England winter.

Both ... you can do the shading job without them but then its not special. This is the architectural equivalent of a stone cornice with dentils and triglifs carved into it. They are lightly functional but are mostly there to show sophistication and craft.

Enjoy it. This is good architectural stuff. Thankfully Harvard gets it and pays for this kind of attention.

cca
 
Nope .. its coming later. Think of it as the shawl over your blouse (if you are 80) .. or ... you meshed shirt over your duran duran t shirt if your are stuck in the 80s.

I think of it more like sunglasses or a burka.

It is to shield a building from surroundings it does not want to engage (like the otherwise excellent NU ISEC building or the recently proposed BU (bookstack) building on Comm Ave.

Windows are the eyes of a building.

To CCA's analogy to cornices - - cornice's don't block windows. They engage the surroundings. They dialogue with a neighborhood. THIS increasingly used technique says "Talk to the hand...."

However, I DO think it has a place. It works well for steam plants and parking garages.

For office, hotel and residential buildings???? It's a "beard" to exhonerate an architect for crappiness.

.
 
Last edited:

Back
Top