Campus Science Building Atrium

The science building on campus has an atrium that runs the full height of the building, 5 floors. With walkways crossing at each level and a skylight at the top that floods the space with natural light. Standing on the ground floor you feel like you're inside a canyon made of concrete and glass. Footsteps and conversations on the walkways above create an ambient hum that makes the space feel alive without being noisy. Architects used the atrium to bring daylight into interior labs and offices that would otherwise need artificial lighting all day. Energy savings are probably significant even though nobody mentions them. Benches at the base of the atrium have become the most popular informal meeting space in the building. Natural light, visual activity overhead, and the slight echo give the area an energy that enclosed meeting rooms lack.