Williamstown, MA | PBDW Architects

The new Center for Economic Development residence hall is the first Net Zero Energy building on the Williams College campus. Many residents arrive from climates where the sun shines daily and temperatures rarely drop below 70 degrees. To combat the psychological effects of spending many cold, dark New England days inside the building, MFLD created a lighting approach that maximized daylight contributions to each space. A layered approach of warm LED decorative fixtures combined with high color rendering recessed sources provides reinforcement for the warm colors and materials used by the architects throughout the building. Rooms have LED lighting, occupancy sensors and local task lighting appropriate for studying. Bright, open communal areas are illuminated with residential scale pendants and sconces to complement the size, scale and privacy of the individual units.