Reimagining a Historic Asset: How an Adaptative Reuse Study Supports Campus Planning Strategy
As legacy buildings fall behind modern functional and performance standards, they must be thoughtfully repositioned to meet evolving demands.
Existing north facade of Lawrence Hall at Williams College
A Disciplined, Data-Driven Approach to Renewal
MBB’s Lawrence Hall Programming Study at Williams College illustrates how a disciplined, data-driven approach to adapting and renewing one building can dovetail with overall campus planning priorities. By aligning deep engagement and innovative programming with a rigorous decarbonization strategy, we developed a roadmap to transition Lawrence Hall from an energy-intensive museum into a high-performance, interdisciplinary hub for the arts.
The impetus for this comprehensive, adaptive reuse study was the planned relocation of the Williams College Museum of Art (WCMA) from its longtime home in Lawrence Hall to a new, purpose-built museum. Expanding on the College’s previous strategic planning work, our firm—alongside a specialized team of engineers and consultants—spent a year diving into the “why” and “how” of the building’s future transformation. The result is a blueprint for programmatic renewal that balances high-level strategy with the granular realities of cost, code, and carbon.
Program section of Lawrence Hall with proposed renovations and adaptive reuse
Programming for the Interdisciplinary Future
Through a methodical engagement process with faculty, staff, and students, our study identified three guiding principles for the building’s future: supporting the evolving curricular needs of the Art History wing of the Art department, nurturing interdisciplinary arts learning through strategic program adjacencies, and fostering student-led creative work in inclusive, accessible spaces. Underlying all this was a shared understanding that Lawrence Hall must do more than house any given department or function; it must foster a culture of “making as a form of knowledge creation.”
Dissolving boundaries across creative disciplines, and between theory and practice, was a strategic priority. Our mandate was to map this vision for interdisciplinary discovery onto the specific constraints and opportunities of Lawrence Hall. In response, we didn’t just list program requests. We brokered consensus. The resulting program right-sizes the Art History wing while introducing high-demand, underserved facilities for ceramics, film, and digital fabrication. By identifying opportunities for shared use—such as a Virtual Reality Lab that serves both Art History and student filmmaking—the study ensures that every square foot is optimized for maximum student engagement.
Following phased upgrades, the most energy-intensive building on campus will become one of the most energy-efficient.
From Energy Liability to Sustainability Landmark
Responsible stewardship and renewal require a clear-eyed assessment of the building’s physical performance. Lawrence Hall was identified as the most expensive building to operate per square foot on the Williams campus, largely due to an uninsulated envelope and specialized museum climate controls. In light of stringent new campus energy goals, the building’s energy consumption was literally unsustainable.
Our approach integrates the building’s renewal into the College’s broader decarbonization masterplan. The plan prioritizes a new high-efficiency mechanical system and envelope upgrades—including a continuous air barrier and window replacements—to provide campus-wide electrical compatibility alongside much-needed life safety and accessibility upgrades. By providing thorough assessment and realistic solutions, the study demonstrates that deep energy retrofits are essential steps in protecting an institution’s long-term capital health.
Historic interior spaces include the 1846 rotunda, left, and the 1980s 'Waterfall Stair.'
Navigating Architectural Stewardship
The study also addresses the building’s rich architectural history, which includes the original 1846 octagonal rotunda and significant 1980s additions by Charles Moore. MBB’s approach emphasizes a carefully calibrated conservation of significant historical features, such as the beloved rotunda and atrium “waterfall stair,” while making program spaces more welcoming and flexible for contemporary use.
The plan simplifies labyrinthine circulation paths, creates new open spaces for performing arts, and introduces daylight into previously windowless museum storage areas for new faculty suites. Through carefully considered modifications, the goal is to enhance the building’s integrity and visibility as a cultural center for the campus community.
Phased Implementation to Ensure Continuity
A frequent deterrent to large-scale renovation is the lack of “swing space” to keep academic departments operational. To mitigate disruption, our team developed a sophisticated phasing strategy that allows the Art History department to remain on-site throughout the construction process. By coordinating with adjacent capital planning projects, our plan positions the transformation of Lawrence Hall not as an isolated event, but a coordinated move within the College’s broader strategic chessboard. The result is a disciplined framework that transforms a legacy architectural asset into a sustainable, mission-aligned destination for the Williams community.
Strategy Meets Execution
At its core, the Lawrence Hall study shows how strategic priorities are translated into realistic, mission-aligned capital planning. Successful renewal requires a disciplined, data-driven roadmap. Our experience with the Williams College community illustrates the power of deep engagement, collaborative problem-solving, and technical rigor to generate optimal outcomes and reinforce overall campus strategy.
Team
- Client: Williams College – Office of Planning, Design & Construction
- Architect: MBB Architects
- MEP & Code: Cosentini Associates
- Cost Estimating: Slocum Construction Consulting
- Envelope: Simpson Gumpertz & Heger (SGH)
- Structural: Steady State Studio
- Acoustics: LSTN