BOSTON, MA — The Africana Studies and Research Center designed by Shepley Bulfinch Richardson and Abbott at Cornell University has received the 2006 Gold in Brick Architecture Award. The multicolored brick cladding of the building’s exterior is arranged in three elaborate patterns that allude to African textiles. The earth-tone shades of brick encapsulate the African palette, while the modular shape is perfectly suited to patterning. The cultural and natural beauty of Africa is suggested by the use of deep, saturated colors and bold patterning adapted from sources such as the Jenne Mosque of Mali, Kente cloth and Adinkra symbols for unity, human relations and knowledge. Clay brick ...[more]

BOSTON, MA — Shepley Bulfinch programmed, planned, and designed an addition and renovation that has created a new identity for the Africana Studies and Research Center, meets program needs, and captures the essence of Africana cultures and aesthetics. The $4,000,000 facility includes 6,000 new sf and 11,600 renovated sf. The multicolored brick cladding of the building’s exterior is arranged in three elaborate patterns that allude to African textiles. The $4,000,000 facility was envisioned as an ensemble of three pavilions, giving the feel of a mini-village with three distinct identities: scholarship (the library); community (the multipurpose room); and leadership (faculty and classrooms in the renovated building). The new state-of-the-art library ...[more]