Dodds Hall - University of New Haven  | West Haven, CT

• • 74,000SF
• • School of Business
• • 300 seat Auditorium: Green, Dressing, Costume Rooms, Control Booth, Set Shop
• • Forensic and Science Laboratories
• • Art and Photography Studios
• • Art Gallery
• • Classrooms
• • Conference Rooms
• • Administrative Offices

In addition to the fulfillment of the above programmatic items, the goal of the Dodds Hall project was to provide within a single building a campus center, a strong sense of place and identity for the school. Towards this end, Kosinski engaged and leveraged the local influences of a steeply sloping site, the central campus placement and generous views. The building is sited in the middle of the campus, laying across primary pedestrian routes to various facilities. The building is designed as a gateway and a frame around the confluence and bundling of these routes as they cross the campus and slope. Access to key functions within the building is made directly from these routes as they pass through the building via a central external stairway and pedestrian path. The slope on which the building is situated is primary identifying feature for the campus. Thus the stairway which crosses its center as it passes through the building becomes not only a focal point for gathering and social interaction but also engages the school’s most distinct topographical feature to foster campus identity.