Williamstown, Massachusetts
The Davis Center stands as a powerful testament to the enduring impact of student advocacy for social justice and inclusive community at Williams College. Its origins trace back to the pivotal 1969 campus protests, where students demanded greater representation and equity. Reopened in 2024 after meticulous renovation and expansion, the Center now serves as a vibrant hub for programs and spaces that uplift historically underrepresented communities. It fosters deep campus-wide engagement with intricate issues of identity, history, and culture, offering fully accessible resources for students and faculty alike. This transformation symbolizes Williams College’s unwavering commitment to cultivating a fully inclusive environment that nurtures the social, emotional, and academic growth of every individual.
Davis Center, Williams College by Leers Weinzapfel Associates, won an 2025 International Architecture Award from The Chicago Athenaeum: Museum of Architecture and Design.
Spanning 25,800 square feet, the reimagined Davis Center forms a cohesive complex, with a striking new addition seamlessly nestled between the cherished 19th-century Rice and Jenness Houses. A sunlit central public plaza unites the trio of buildings, its edges gracefully defined by a winding riverine bioswale that evokes natural flow and sustainability. The design introduces a universally accessible path descending to Walden Street and a welcoming public entrance on Spring Street, extending the Center’s reach beyond campus boundaries to embrace the Williamstown community.
Echoing the hipped roofs and dormers of its historic neighbors, the new wing reinterprets traditional domestic rooflines through a dynamic roofscape inspired by the undulating peaks and valleys of the Berkshire mountains. Inside, this manifests as folded ceiling planes, creating uniquely intimate upper-level spaces that invite reflection and connection. The addition’s exterior features charred wood cladding via the ancient Japanese shou sugi ban technique—a controlled burning process that imparts a profound depth of color and texture. Beyond its aesthetic appeal, this method renders the wood naturally fire-retardant, rot-resistant, and impervious to insects and decay. Symbolically, it honors the resilience of minority communities enduring adversity, standing boldly distinct amid Williamstown’s painted clapboard vernacular to spark dialogue and curiosity.
Shaped by extensive collaboration with nearly two dozen resident student groups, the Center balances intimate residential scale with an open, transparent ground floor that beckons broad participation. Dynamic spaces support academic seminars, cultural workshops, social gatherings, and training sessions. Highlights include a versatile multipurpose room with movable partitions, a fully equipped double kitchen for communal meals, cozy study nooks, a revamped Jenness porch and Rice living room, a laptop bar bridging the structures, and a dedicated spiritual practice area with prayer mats and ablution facilities. All-gender, fully accessible restrooms ensure equity throughout.
Rigorous material vetting eliminated Red List substances—industry “worst-in-class” chemicals linked to cancer, endocrine disruption, and environmental harm, which disproportionately affect marginalized groups. Comprehensive carbon analysis drove choices like mass timber hybrids and all-electric systems, achieving net-zero operational and embodied carbon through retrofits, adaptive reuse, low-carbon structures, and offsets. Pursuing ILFI Living Building Challenge Petal Certification, the Davis Center redefines sustainability as socially just, culturally vibrant, and ecologically restorative.
Architects: Leers Weinzapfel Associates
Design Team: Josiah Stevenson, FAIA LEED AP, Tom Chung, FAIA LEED AP BD+C, Ashley Rao, AIA LEED AP, CPHC (Project Manager), Juliet Chun AIA; Vy Mai AIA NOMA; Danica Kane AIA; Su Poon AIA; Ben Wilcox AIA; Josh Liebla, Leers Weinzapfel Associates
Associate Architects: Jonathan Garland Enterprises
Client: Williams College
General Contractor: Consigli Construction
Photographers: Albert Vecerka / ESTO
