Design
The President's Cottage will be an integral part of the landscape, not just an object in it. To use Unity President Mitch Thomashow’s words, “The house should be designed so that a person knows where he/she is.” Interior and exterior spaces will be flexible enough to blend, but maintain separate identities.
Connections to the Surroundings
In its design, engineering, and construction, the President's Cottage will create opportunities to enrich the curriculum at Unity College.
The home will be located on the north side of the campus, allowing for a visual connection both to the campus above and cars arriving from either direction. Future plans for a pedestrian path will serve to connect the home to the school, the town, and the physical world it exists in.
While it is not expected that the building be central to campus activity, it may be considered an alternative laboratory. By involving the architecture as pedagogy, opportunities for experiential learning are integrated into the home. Materials and spaces will be designed to continually remind people of the natural world around them.
Sun Simulations
As part of the design process, Bensonwood developed several sunlight simulations to examine available light throughout the year. This animation is the light simulation for August 12, 2007, from 6:00 AM to 6:00 PM.