For the renovation of Bennington College’s Commons building, originally built in 1932, Christoff:Finio Architecture (C:FA) transformed the campus’s beloved but dated centerpiece into a contemporary hub for academic and student life. The first substantial upgrade to the building since the 1930s, the renovation reinforces Commons’ Beaux-Arts character while updating it to meet the performance and programmatic needs of the college community for decades to come.
To achieve this, the renovation maintains the historic southern facade, adds a contemporary new entryway on the northern facade, cuts a pedestrian pathway through the building to connect the halves of campus it stands between, brings 16 new classrooms online, and doubles dining capacity—all without expanding the building’s footprint.
Historically the core of both social and academic life at the small liberal arts college, Commons remains the only building at Bennington that combines social areas, study lounges, and classroom space into a single center for learning and student life. As the only place on campus that serves meals, the entire college community—from students to faculty and administrators—convenes at Commons throughout the day for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. But, as Bennington College expanded, Commons could no longer adequately serve the growing student body.