Butler College Dormitories, Princeton University

The 288-bed complex is clad in varying-colored red brick, accented with both continuous and randomly placed bands of limestone. Responding to the need for larger bedrooms on upper-level suites, the facades are further animated with wavelike undulations that expand and contract according to interior use.

The surrounding site is sculpted into a split-level landscape, with both upper- and lower-level courtyards connecting to the existing Butler Commons. New pedestrian paths and vistas enrich the campus while extending the long tradition of space-shaping buildings at Princeton.

The complex has been carefully conceived in scale, material, and detail to offer dormitory space in an architectural form characterized by warmth, eventfulness, and informality.

The east wing encloses the south-facing Memorial Courtyard, designed as an amphitheater. Two additional lower-level courtyards similarly provide access and daylight to Butler Commons.

High-efficiency low-E glazing allows natural light to illuminate most of the interior spaces, while more than half of the facility’s roof area consists of environmentally friendly green roofs.