RIT Student Hall for Exploration & Development

In partnership with William Rawn Associates, the Student Hall for Exploration & Development (SHED) stems from the confluence of three major factors: a generous donation to RIT for the creation of maker space, the identification of a need for increased instructional space on campus, and the vision of the president to expand the institution’s performing arts offerings. The product of these various programs, later dubbed the SHED, was a building envisioned to be central not only to the historic campus but to a visitor’s understanding of what RIT is all about. The SHED will occupy an important site at the heart of the campus, along the Quarter-mile.

A key goal is to create a building that is open to campus with a transparent façade showcasing activity within. The new building will connect to the Wallace Center and Monroe Hall, while preserving physical and visual connections between the Eastman Kodak Quadrangle, the transit hub and future expansion to the south. This approach early on suggested a building that instantly revealed itself to the visitor while allowing one to transverse the site unimpeded and surrounded by the culture of RIT.

The role of the SHED in the campus’ physical context is to provide not only a welcoming presence to the north and south, and serve as a collector that draws visitors and the RIT population inward with a high level of activity.

Big Idea

Create an active destination for students and faculty from all disciplines at an important campus gateway and crossroads